Cost of Revenge: Moments in Between
by Captain Anon
Summary: A collection of one-shots from the Cost of Revenge universe focusing on the evil green ranger and the various relationships surrounding him.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note:** Holy shit it's been a long time, hasn't it? Wow._

 _So this will be a collection of one-shots in the Cost of Revenge universe. The main story is written from the sole perspective of Tommy, namely because I wanted to really explore what it meant for him to be the green ranger, outside of the usual "Die, rangers, die!". That being said, there were several moments that were never captured in the main story that I always wanted to write but were left on the cutting room floor for the sake of the greater story. Now that I've committed to resuming the Cost of Revenge series, I plan to publish those one-shots to help expand the universe, fill in some gaps, and help me get back into the head-space of the main story. You'll probably see a few more one-shots in the coming weeks. Not too many, but a few to help me get back into the groove of things. Expect moments from Tommy, Kim, Jason, and potentially other characters._

 _This particular one-shot is an outtake from the three-week jump between chapters 7 and 8 of Cost of Revenge: Control. __I had actually started this one several years ago but didn't finish it until recently. I get a **lot** of requests to write more evil green ranger/pink ranger smut, which I didn't realize people were so into. I think this certainly fulfills at least some of those requests._

 _As a warning, this one-shot is a hard MA. It's probably the most explicit piece I've ever written, and I was actually a little hesitant to post it (still sorta am). So if that's not your thing, you should press Back right now. Not all of the one-shots will contain smut, but there's nothing but straight up hard fucking all up in this one, guys. If that's not your cup of tea, you've been warned._

 _As a side note, fun fact: Writing evil green ranger Tommy is very, very difficult, especially if you haven't done it in a while. There's a really fine line you have to walk with him, especially in his relationship with Kimberly._

 _Please forgive any errors you find. This fic is un-beta'd, and I'm admittedly quite rusty._

 _Reviews and feedback are appreciated. Hope you like it!_

* * *

 **Front Porch**

 **Hart Residence**

 **Angel Grove, CA**

 **Monday, 8:13 PM**

"Bye, mom! Have fun tonight, and give me a call when you're on your way back!" Kim shouted from the doorway, waving goodbye as her mother pulled out of the driveway.

Caroline Hart blew a kiss her daughter's way, giving a brief wave before making her way down the street in her sedan.

Kimberly sighed, pushing the door closed and locking it. A loud thump on the ceiling caught her attention. She rolled her eyes, making her way upstairs.

The pink ranger threw open the door to her room. "Do you have to make so much noise?"

Tommy scowled in her direction, yanking off his left shoe and throwing it on the ground next to the other in the corner.

"She's gone. Why do I need to be quiet anymore?"

Kim glared, closing her bedroom door and locking it. "I told you _after_ 8 o'clock."

"So I was a little early." The green ranger shrugged. "It was close enough."

"If by close enough you mean almost 40 minutes _earlier_ than I told you, then yeah. You were close enough, Tommy."

Kim could still remember the mild panic she felt when a grinning Tommy suddenly appeared in her room in a flash of green light, startling her so much that she screamed in surprise. That then led to her hastily shoving the confused teen into her closet right before her mom burst into her room, wondering what in the hell had scared her daughter so much.

She could hear him snickering softly in the closet as she made up a lie to calm her poor mother. He hadn't meant to scare her. He had just been so eager when he got her note and couldn't wait any longer.

Tommy stared at her bed dubiously. "Is all of this really necessary?"

Kim raised a brow at his expression. "What do you mean?"

The green ranger walked forward, grabbing the pink monkey resting at the foot of her bed. It was the first time he'd been in her bedroom since he became the green ranger. He didn't remember her having so many stuffed animals before.

"Kim, you have enough stuffed animals here to start your own store. Do you just never throw them away?"

She snatched Mr. Bubbles from his grasp. "You ever throw away any of your stupid trading cards?"

He reared back as if she slapped him. "Do _not_ put my trading cards in the same category as your overstuffed toys. Those are collectibles."

The pink ranger snorted, playing idly with Mr. Bubbles' tail before sitting him back to rest with the others. "Whatever."

Tommy took a seat on the bed, eyes flashing green as he caught sight of a stuffed red T-Rex near the headboard, no doubt a gift from Jason.

"Hm." He resisted the urge to grab it and rip its head off, instead turning to face the pensive pink ranger.

Only two days had passed since they were last together, when Kim visited him at his house to talk, only to end with her riding him right out of his mind with his mom upstairs. They were still trying to figure out what they were to each other and how exactly to navigate their new _relationship_.

It was confusing to say the least, especially given the feelings they already shared before he became the evil green ranger.

The only thing that wasn't confusing was that she was quickly becoming an addiction for him, and he the same for her. He left a note in her locker after first period, letting her know he needed to see her again. She responded by fifth period, telling him that her mom would be out on a date. She would have the house to herself for the night.

And here they were. Again.

Kim played with the ends of her shirt, a gesture he knew meant she was nervous.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing, it's just…" She fidgeted again. "I don't know how to do this."

He raised an eyebrow, wanting her to explain further.

She gnawed on her bottom lip. "It's one thing to be caught up in the moment. It's another thing entirely to actively _plan_ to cheat."

The first three times – _God, it was already three_ _times_ – she could at least kind of rationalize as being accidents, carried away by the passion of the moment. But this? There's no excuse for it other than that she was intentionally cheating on her boyfriend. She had sought out his rival, of all people, and was willingly sharing a part of herself with him that she should only be sharing with Jason.

How the hell could she come back from this?

' _I can't,'_ she thought angrily, tears stinging her eyes.

Tommy stood up, walking around the bed to kneel in front of her on the floor, hands running up and down her thighs. He felt her tense up beneath his palms.

"Then don't think of it as cheating," he said softly, thumbs rubbing circles into her flesh.

She pushed him away from her angrily. "And what exactly would you call it, Tommy?"

He shrugged, a crooked smile on his face. "What comes naturally to us."

She cut her eyes at him. "Of course you'd say that. Anything to get your rocks off, right?"

He took a deep breath, calling on a patience he didn't feel and choosing not to rise to the bait. "You know it's more than that between us, Kim," he said brusquely. "You can snap at me, yell, scream, whatever you want, but we both know it's bullshit."

The pink ranger stopped, staring at him curiously. He sounded like the old Tommy. _Her_ Tommy.

' _Stop thinking like that, Kim'_ , she chided herself. _'He's gone.'_

Kim ran a hand through her hair, coming to stand in front of the window. "Jason thinks I'm babysitting my cousin tonight." She wrapped her arms around her stomach. "I can't believe I'm even _thinking_ of doing this again. What the hell is wrong with me?"

Tommy eyed her from his spot near her bed. He stood up, walking until he was directly behind her. Her body was tense, and he knew if he did the wrong thing she would bolt, calling everything off. Tommy didn't want to pressure her too much, but he wasn't going to let her just back out of this without a fight. She already admitted she felt something for him – the same as he did for her – he wasn't ready to just let that go.

"I'm here because you asked me to be here, Kim," he said, hands resting on her shoulders. "If you want me to leave, I'll leave. But _you_ have to be the one to say it."

He was lying through his teeth, but he had to call her bluff. This was never going to work if she kept being hot and cold with him each time they were together.

Several beats of silence passed with Kim making no move to tell him to leave. His hands slid down her arms and around to hold her waist, pulling her so that she was pressed flush against him. The pink ranger closed her eyes, shame filling her as she leaned back into his touch. When she opened her eyes again, she could see Tommy's eyes flash green in his reflection in the window.

"Unless you want to give your neighbors a show, I suggest you close the blinds," he whispered softly in her ear.

She clenched her fists tightly, arms remaining at her side. _'Kim, you can still back out of this. Do the right thing.'_

The pink ranger looked away from the window, eyes focused on the beige carpet of her bedroom floor. The smart thing would be to tell him to leave, save them both from the disaster that would surely come from this affair if it continued.

But the selfish thing… The selfish thing would be to give into it. To use this as a twisted opportunity to see what could've been if she had just gone with her gut and broken up with Jason like she wanted. If she had been honest with her growing feelings for Tommy, like he was with her, and taken that step with him before it was too late. If she hadn't been a coward.

Kimberly wasn't stupid. She knew the green ranger was not her Tommy. He was cruel, ruthless, a bastard in every way. But then there were moments like this, when he held her to him tightly, looking at her with the same affection her Tommy used to, and she couldn't help but wonder _what if_.

And then there was the sex.

Kim never really understood the hype about sex, often thinking her friends and classmates that raved about it were exaggerating. And after the experience of losing her virginity to Jason, she could admit, while certainly good, it was nothing to brag about. Certainly not enough to explain the questionable decisions some of her peers made just to get laid.

And then she had her first time with Tommy.

The green ranger had much more experience than Jason in that department, thanks to his incessant need to try and sleep with anything wearing a skirt. When she slept with Jason, he treated her like she was the most precious thing on Earth, almost afraid in how he handled her, as if she might break. He was attentive, sweet – everything you're told you should have for your first time.

Tommy, on the other hand... Tommy fucked her like it was the only thing he was ever meant to do.

She had always been curious what it would be like with him. She heard the locker room talk, the not-so-secret whispers between the other girls as they spoke of their wild nights with the long-haired quarterback. And while it lit a flame of jealousy to hear them speak of the man she subconsciously thought of as hers, she couldn't deny that her curiosity had been piqued.

Their first time in the Youth Center, while unexpected, was a revelation. Where Jason was timid and unsure, Tommy was bold and confident. He fucked her with purpose, with such ferocity that it was virtually impossible not to be swept up in the ecstasy of the moment and give in to him. He was so arrogant in how he controlled her body, knowing exactly where to touch and how to please her to leave her a trembling mess beneath him.

"Kim?" he rasped against her ear. She broke from her reverie, eyes locking again with his in the window.

Tommy watched her like a hawk, semi-erect cock pressed against her ass. He reached down, grabbing her fists in his larger hands and stretching out her fingers to relieve the tension.

"Close the blinds," he said again, tone firm.

He wasn't asking this time.

Kim let go of his hands and reached up, hesitating slightly before pulling the cord and shutting out the view of the outside world.

' _I'm so sorry, Jason.'_

"Good girl." A calloused hand reached up, sliding beneath her shirt to cup her right breast. She groaned when his tongue found the hollow point of her neck.

"Can I taste you again?" he murmured against her skin, teeth scraping against the sensitive flesh. The one time in the park just wasn't enough for him.

Her clit throbbed from the memory alone, and she shook her head to clear it. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

He pulled back, turning her around so that she faced him. "Seriously?"

The green ranger knew for a fact that she enjoyed every second of it. The way she rode his tongue with wild abandon until she was shivering against the tree was all the proof he needed.

He could read the arousal and indecision on her face. "Tommy, you caught me off guard before. That was… _a lot_. I'm not ready to do that with you again."

The truth was it felt too intimate to her. To Tommy, she knew it probably meant nothing more than sex – another pat on the back at how good he was at getting her off. But having him down there – _tasting her_ – it was overwhelming.

Sex was different – sex was about both of them getting off. _That_ was just about her pleasure and the pleasure he got from making her cum. Her feelings for him – before and after he became the green ranger – were already too confusing to sort through. Having him go down on her, knowing her body so intimately as he brought her over that edge made everything a little too intense for the pink ranger, no matter how good it felt.

The taller teen sighed and ran a hand through his long locks, tucking stray strands behind his ears. That was what he was looking forward to the most all day, and he couldn't hide the brief flash of anger that showed on his face. He'd been dying for another taste of her, to feel her trembling beneath his lips and tongue as he brought her to climax over and over again. He wasn't used to being denied what he wanted. He didn't like it at all.

Brown eyes scanned her face before he leaned forward, soft lips pressing gently to hers.

Kimberly let out a soft moan when Tommy's tongue tangled with hers, erotically sucking on it until the pink ranger was gripping his shirt. Familiar hands made their way under her shirt to palm her breasts, fingers tweaking sensitive nipples roughly as he walked her backwards to her bed.

They tumbled onto her sheets when her legs hit the edge of the bed. He reached up, shoving the various stuffed animals over the edge. He made sure to grab the red T-Rex and throw it clear across the room.

Kim broke off the kiss with a soft gasp. "Fuck," she breathed heavily. Tommy chuckled, lips traveling down a flushed neck to suck on her pulse point while his right hand slipped lower.

Tommy pulled back with a grin. "I don't know why you wore these, Kimberly," he said throatily, yanking her shorts and panties down her legs to mid-thigh. He pulled back, tugging the offending garments down Kimberly's legs and onto the floor. He crawled back up the younger teen's body, lips locking with hers again hotly before a hand skimmed Kimberly's exposed sex.

She groaned into Tommy's mouth, legs widening of their own accord for the green ranger's lean body to slide between her thighs. A skilled thumb rubbed her clit in small circles, causing her to buck involuntarily. A writhing leg trapped between Tommy's thighs pressed against his growing erection, causing him to choke out a gasp as he ground himself against her.

Kimberly keened when two fingers slowly slid between her folds, teasing her lightly before plunging inside to the second knuckle, and she buried her head in Tommy's shoulder as she gripped his triceps hard. She let out a strangled whimper when his thumb rubbed her clit with just the right amount of pressure, and she bit into the older teen's shoulder to quell her shriek as her orgasm built uncontrollably. Tommy sucked in a gasp when he felt Kimberly's body arch beneath his, and with a few more well-timed thrusts, she was crying out his name in his shoulder.

Kimberly lay back with a satisfied smile, eyes closed as she savored the aftershocks of her orgasm. The green ranger sucked his fingers into his mouth, moaning at her unique taste. He looked down at her, eyes heavy as they focused on the apex of her thighs that glistened from her release. She was so wet and ready for him, her clit slightly swollen and ready to be sucked.

' _She can't just tease me like this,'_ he thought irritably.

Kim sighed contently as Tommy placed soft kisses under her chin, trailing downward to her breasts. He bit down gently on an erect nipple before soothing it with his tongue, repeating the motion with the other breast.

Kimberly sighed happily as she tangled a hand in Tommy's hair, and he could feel the nervous energy coming from her as he made his way down her toned stomach, dipping briefly into her navel, then further down to the apex of her thighs. He licked at the wetness on her inner thighs, nipping the thin flesh periodically with his teeth. She shivered when she felt his breath on her damp curls, lips dangerously close to her clit.

Tommy's eyes flickered between Kimberly's and the place he wanted to taste most. Licking his bottom lip, he wrapped an arm tightly around her lower abdomen, holding her in place. Brown eyes flashed bright green.

' _You may not be ready, but I am.'_

He felt rather than heard the startled squeal from the pink ranger when his tongue connected with her slick folds. He groaned as he swirled his tongue around – she tasted better than he remembered. Hands made their way to his scalp, tugging insistently on his hair to stop, but he ignored her and instead reached up with his free hand to grab her wrists.

With Kimberly's arms pinned to her stomach, Tommy took the opportunity to shove his tongue deep inside, eliciting a raw cry of pleasure from her. Kimberly's arms twisted in Tommy's grasp as he worked her with his tongue, and the pleasured sobs from above along with her trembling thighs let Tommy know she was certainly enjoying it, even if she wasn't ready.

Tommy moved upwards with his stroking tongue, seeking out that tiny bundle of nerves that was waiting for him. The first flick of his tongue against her clit caused Kimberly's hips to buck hard, and a strangled moan erupted from her at the sensation.

" _Uhhhng_ …"

Pleased with this reaction, Tommy wrapped soft lips around her clit, licking roughly with the flat of his tongue and creating a delicious suction around the sensitive nub.

" _Fuck…fuck…yesyesyes…ohmygooood…TomMY…_ "

Kimberly's shrill cries grew frantic as Tommy continued, and her body twisted against his mouth to escape his skilled tongue, forcing him to use both hands to hold the squirming girl still. The green ranger placed her legs over his shoulders, each arm wrapped around a thigh to force her legs to remain open for him.

"I've dreamed about doing this to you so many times," he murmured, tongue dipping inside of her, fucking her gently. "God, even before I was the green ranger, I fantasized about bending you over Ms. Appleby's desk or that damn balancing beam and making you cum with my mouth until you begged me to stop." He let out a pleased moan as he licked her from end to end, stopping to give her clit special attention. "So good."

Kimberly arched off the bed, hands flying upward to brace themselves on the headboard, knuckles white from the tight grip. Her eyes were glazed as they stared unfocused on the blue ceiling of her bedroom. She could feel all of the love, hate, anger, guilt, and lust she felt for him building in the pit of her stomach, coiling tighter and tighter with each stroke of his tongue. It was getting to be too much, and she reached down shakily, gripping his hair tightly.

"T-Tommy…" she gasped. " _Please_ …"

The sounds coming from between her thighs were absolutely filthy, and her breath hitched in her throat when she heard his delighted moans and whimpers between occasional slurps.

"Jesus, I could do this forever," he whispered hotly. His tongue traced slow circles around her clit before sucking it lovingly into his hot mouth.

Perfectly manicured toes curled almost painfully as the first waves of her orgasm crept over her, and when Tommy's tongue slid inside of her wet heat once more, Kim broke, head rocking back against the pillows when she arched her back.

Tommy paused in his ministrations when he heard his name pass Kimberly's lips in a hoarse chant. He latched on to her clit once, sucking it gently as she came in his mouth, her moans increasing in volume with each lick until she was whining his name in the dimly lit room, heels digging into his back as she twisted beneath him. He looked up to see the brunette in the throes of a hard climax. Nipples fully erect, mouth open, body completely flushed – it was breathtaking.

Kimberly shuddered, limbs quivering as she slowly came down from her peak, desperately trying to catch her breath. Tommy let up, lazily stroking her quivering stomach, chin glistening with her release. He crawled up her body, breath fanning her cheeks.

"You liked that?" he whispered huskily into her neck, lips descending to kiss her shoulder. Kim remained quiet, not trusting herself to speak.

"I wanna try something," Tommy said softly as he wrapped his arms around Kimberly's body, rolling over so that she was on top of him.

"Tommy," she mumbled weakly, body still trembling.

"Shh, just trust me," he said with a wide grin, squeezing her ass firmly. "Sit up on your knees."

With his help, the pink ranger maneuvered on shaky limbs, resting so that she was now straddling him. He could feel her wetness slick on his abdomen, could see her clit peeking out from between her thighs, swollen and begging to be sucked again.

"Grab the headboard and scoot up," Tommy ordered softly, gaze fixed on her sensitive nub.

Kimberly did as he requested with a bemused expression, not sure what Tommy was trying to accomplish. It wasn't until she saw Tommy slide down between her legs did she figure out what was happening. Tommy shoved his tongue as far as he could inside of her, fucking her with his tongue as the pink ranger began to ride his face in earnest.

Every rough stroke of his tongue against Kimberly's throbbing clit caused her to let out a breathless gasp and lift up, pulling the sensitive bundle of nerves just out of his reach. Kimberly let go of the headboard, fisting the sheets near Tommy's head instead. The steady rocking of her hips caused a soft, rhythmic tapping against the wall from the headboard.

"Shit," Kimberly moaned weakly, left hand skimming up to tweak her nipples roughly as she trembled.

Tommy's fingers flexed along Kimberly's hips periodically, his own arousal increasing at the heavy pants from the girl above him. He waited until she calmed down a bit before pulling her back to him, plunging his tongue deep inside again and squeezing her breasts, causing her to groan and brace herself against the headboard.

" _Yeeesss_ ," she whined, rocking harder against Tommy's chin to increase the friction. Tommy pulled back, giving a quick swipe at Kimberly's folds before wrapping his lips around her clit once more and sucking softly, flicking it firmly with his tongue.

" _Hnng_ _ahh no_ ," Kimberly gasped as she pushed up on her legs, pulling her clit from his mouth again and covering her sex with her hand, the pressure too intense. Tommy grunted in annoyance, grabbing her hips and pulling her back down. He pushed her hand out of the way, latching on to the bud and suckling hard.

He gripped Kimberly's thighs, kneading the flesh gently as he held her down and continued his assault on her clit.

"Oh _god_." Kimberly worked her hips harder against Tommy's mouth, swallowing a squeal whenever Tommy released her clit to tease her entrance and dip his tongue in.

Kim's moans and cries increased in volume, and the responsible part of Tommy wondered if maybe he should let up since the likelihood of them being heard by her neighbors was growing. But a much larger part of the green ranger knew he couldn't stop. He could tell from how hard Kimberly was rocking her hips that she was going to cum long and hard for him.

"Tommy, _fuckfuckfuck_ ," she cried loudly now, attempting to rise up on her knees again to escape the pressure on her clit. The green ranger kept his grip on her, moving with her hips to keep the suction on the bundle of nerves constant. One of Kimberly's hands fisted Tommy's hair and the other squeezed her breast.

"I'm gonna – I – ," Kimberly inhaled sharply and her body tensed. The only sounds that could be heard was the wet suckling of his lips and tongue between her thighs.

' _Just a little more, baby,'_ he said to himself.

Kim looked down, startled to see Tommy staring directly up at her from between her legs, eyes bright green.

"You taste so fucking good, Kim," he murmured before sucking her clit back into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it.

"Cum for me, okay?"

Kim let out a strangled moan. She didn't know if it was his tongue or how sweetly he asked her to cum or just the fact that it was Tommy, but it sent her right over the edge. Tears built in the corners of her eyes, and her hips jerked as her climax finally hit.

"Oh god _ohgodohgod_! I'm cumming! _I'm cumming! Tommy!_ "

Tommy cradled Kimberly's hips in his hands, tongue moving in time with every erratic thrust from the pink ranger as she came hard against his mouth. He relished in every shuddering breath and high-pitched whimper she let out, chest swelling knowing that he was the only person who could bring this type of reaction out of her.

Every tiny lick of Tommy's tongue across her clit during her orgasm seemed to make it go on forever, and Kim breathed raggedly as her body shook from the blinding pleasure. She lowered back down onto the bed with shaky legs, hips still moving of their own accord against Tommy's questing tongue. Another soft swipe at her clit caused her thighs to quiver terribly, and Kimberly promptly rolled over onto her back to avoid the stimulation that began to border on painful.

"That was so hot," Tommy said breathlessly, now stroking himself firmly in his sweatpants. " _Fuck_."

He reached over, large hand rubbing her hips. "I know you said you weren't ready to do that again but…" The hand on her hip slipped between her thighs. "You just looked good enough to eat. Couldn't help myself."

The green ranger leaned down, capturing her right nipple in his hot mouth while his hand cupped her sex, middle and ring fingers teasing her entrance before dipping inside all the way. Tommy moaned at the feel of her wrapped around his fingers, heartily thrusting in anticipation of feeling the same around his cock. He brushed his thumb against her clit softly, and she trembled, tightening around his pistoning fingers. He waited a few seconds before brushing against her clit again more firmly, excited by how wet and tight she was getting with each stroke across the bundle of nerves.

He was only able to get in a few more strokes before she pushed him off of her entirely.

" _Jesus_ , Tommy." At his questioning look, she rolled away from him, shivering and flushed. "I need a minute to catch my breath."

The green ranger grinned, sucking her essence off his fingers. "Sorry."

He wasn't sorry at all.

Tommy pushed himself off the bed, arms raising to pull his Bart Simpson t-shirt over his head and onto the floor. He reached into his sweatpants again, firmly stroking himself as he envisioned being buried within her. Her pussy was dripping wet and hot for him, and he bit his lip thinking of how good it'd feel once he was in her again. He kicked his socks off, tossing them into the corner next to his shoes.

Kim rolled over onto her back, hands brushing through her hair as she watched him. The green ranger made his way over to her, climbing onto the bed and straddling her with a lecherous smirk. She was still revved up from a few minutes ago.

"I hope you're ready to –"

Loud ringing from the phone on the nightstand interrupted Tommy's sentence.

He shot Kim a questioning gaze. "Were you expecting a call?"

She shook her head, hands skimming the waistband of his sweatpants. "Only from my mom, but that shouldn't be for another few hours."

She reached over to grab the phone, but he gripped her wrist, gently pinning it down to the bed above her head. "Let the answering machine get it."

"But it could be – _mmph_." He captured her lips with his, tongue slipping inside her mouth to wrestle with hers. He ground himself against her, the fabric from his sweatpants brushing lightly against her still sensitive sex.

The phone rang twice more before it stopped, and they continued kissing heatedly as the answering machine came on.

" _ **Hey, Kim. It's me – Jase."**_

The green ranger rolled his eyes, grunting when Kim abruptly broke the kiss. He could see the arousal in her eyes slowly fading.

"Dammit," he whispered, rolling over so he was on his back again.

" _ **I was just calling to see how you were doing. I know your cousin can be a handful sometimes, so I thought a call from me might help make the night go smoother."**_

Kim ran her hands over face, once again feeling the shame of her infidelity. Tommy pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation.

The green ranger scowled, green eyes glowing brighter with every word Jason spoke. He stared down at Kim, watching as she slowly shrank away from him to create distance.

"Tommy, I –"

He leaned over, gripping the side of her face and kissing her hard. She was unresponsive at first but slowly began to kiss him back.

" _ **Things have been a little weird between us lately. I don't know what's going on with you but… you know you can talk to me about anything, right?"**_

She pulled back from him. "This is wrong," she said softly against his lips.

"No, it's not." He kissed her again, tongue slipping into her mouth.

"Jason is –"

Tommy's eyes flashed green, cutting her off with a rough kiss. "Fuck Jason. You're with me."

He crawled on top of her, placing his legs on the outside of her thighs. He ground his erection against her, tongue sucking on the flesh of her collarbone. His hand dipped back between her thighs, stroking her firmly until she was writhing again beneath him.

"… _**after the mall tomorrow? I know how much you love Leonardo Dicaprio, so I was thinking we could maybe catch that Romeo and Juliet movie that's supposed to come out?"**_

The green ranger bit at the tender flesh of her throat. "Roll over," he said gruffly.

She blinked up at him in confusion, attention torn between Jason's message and Tommy's lips on her skin.

"What?"

He sat up, gripping her hips and physically rolling her over onto her stomach. The green ranger pushed his sweatpants down his thighs, erection free at last. He decided against wearing any underwear for the night, seeing no point given the planned activities.

He stroked himself roughly before lining himself to her entrance, hissing slightly at the wetness on the head of his cock. He could see the muscles in her back tense at the contact.

Tommy ran a hand along her spine. "Relax," he murmured, giving her ass a gentle squeeze. "I know this is new for you, but you'll love it." He pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

"Trust me," he whispered, slowly easing the head of him into her.

" _ **Maybe afterwards we can go somewhere to eat? Come back to my house and just hang?"**_

Tommy held himself steady as entered her, slipping in to the hilt with one firm stroke. His face buried into her hair, groaning at how hot and snug she was around his cock. Kim gasped loudly, burying her face into the pillow.

" _So good, so good_ ," he whimpered into her hair, savoring being encased in her wet heat.

"Oh my… _god_ ," she rasped out, eyes fluttering closed. He felt deeper than before, thicker. She could feel him everywhere.

The green ranger gripped her hips tightly, stilling her so that he didn't prematurely cum. This was his absolute favorite position, and dear god, he was not about to let this end before things truly got started. He waited several seconds before moving, allowing himself time to get used to being this deep inside of her.

" _ **Sorry, I don't mean to pressure you. I just… I miss you."**_

Tommy sat up on his knees, tugging on her waist to pull her up to her hands and knees. Once she was in position, he set a frantic pace, balls smacking loudly against her bottom. He saw her nails dig into the sheets and grinned as she rocked back into his thrusts eagerly. It wouldn't take long for her to cum.

"You feel that?" he grunted between thrusts. "It's deep, isn't it?" She nodded vigorously, thoroughly enjoying the new position, gasping breathlessly each time his hips slammed into hers. "I told you you'd love it."

Kim cried out with each thrust, and he reached forward, hands wrapping around her waist to hold her in place as he pumped his hips. Tommy watched his cock glide in and out of her pussy, eyes flashing green every time her sex spread to take him in deep again. The headboard slammed hard against the wall with each thrust, and the mattress whined beneath them, springs squeaking loudly in the small bedroom as they rutted on her bed.

" _Fuck_ ," the green ranger moaned, head tilted back in ecstasy. She felt so goddamn good around him, and her soft cries only heightened his pleasure.

" _ **I know things have been a tense ever since Tommy became…different. I-I know how much he meant to you."**_

" _Tommy, don't stop!_ _Don't stop, don't sto –"_ She wailed suddenly, gripping the pillow hard when his thrusts started coming quicker. " _Yes!_ A _h! Ah! Ah!_ "

Tommy spread his legs a bit wider, giving himself more leverage before he gave several sharp thrusts angled upward.

Kim cried out, hands slipping on the bed and grabbing onto the headboard as her thighs trembled. " _Shit_ , Tommy!"

He grinned knowing he found her spot. The green ranger positioned himself again before snapping his hips up repeatedly at the same angle. Kim screamed loudly, scooting forward and shaking, causing Tommy to slip out completely.

He grunted, pulling her back towards him and slipping back inside. He pressed a hand against her lower back and pushed her to lie flat against the bed, her thighs spread wide across the bed. He braced his legs between hers and continued his eager thrusts, keeping the same angle as before that had her shaking while bracing against the headboard with his other hand to anchor himself. The cotton from her sheets rubbed lightly against her oversensitive clit with each thrust, and Kim sobbed into her pillow, squirming beneath him to escape the pleasure between her legs.

" _ **But we'll figure out a way to make everything right, Kim. I promise."**_

"Stop moving," Tommy groaned above her, pumping his hips harder against hers. He shifted to lie flat against her back, using his weight to hold her still. His fingers interlocked with hers as he continued fucking her against the sheets.

Kim let out ragged breaths. "It feels so good," she whined, crying out each time he slid deep into her.

"Yeah?" He questioned huskily. "Can't take it?" he asked smugly, right hand braced against the headboard in order to pump his hips a little harder.

"Fuck you," she gasped out, face burrowing in the pillow as she cried out his name.

Her free hand slipped down to his waist, nails digging into his hip when she felt pressure building in her abdomen, suddenly feeling as if she had to pee. "Tommy, wait-wait… I… _fuck_ , I think –"

The green ranger grabbed her hand, pinning it back down against the bed. His thrusts remained steady. "Shh."

"Tommy, ohgod –" He rolled his hips against hers roughly, nipping at her shoulder with his teeth.

He felt her tightening along his length. "Shh shh. It's okay."

Kim groaned into the pillow. "Tommy, it doesn't – I – " She screamed into the pillow when he gave a particularly sharp thrust.

He could feel her getting wetter around his cock and he moaned, sliding in to the hilt now on every stroke with little effort. "You're gonna cum so hard for me." He licked along her throat. "Don't fight it. Just relax. It's gonna feel so fucking good, baby. I promise."

" _ **All right, it seems you're busy. I'm gonna go. Just give me a call when you're free, okay?"**_

"Tommy, I – _ahh!_ " She jerked suddenly beneath him, mouth open in a silent scream. The green ranger felt her walls start to contract.

"Yes," he groaned. Tommy pressed a wet kiss to the back of her neck, jackhammering into her now that she was cumming. "Oh…oh _god_ , Kim… _OH_ … fuck you're so wet… ah!"

" _ **I love you, Kim." Beeep.**_

Kim's face buried into the sheets. " _OhGOD_ … _Rightthererightthererightthere_ … _! I'm gonna cum!_ _I'm gonna cum! Ah! Tommy! Nnng noo!_ "

Kim shrieked and began to shake, and the green ranger's eyes widened when she lifted up, causing him to slip out of her. Her hips were moving of their own accord and she came in a steady stream all over her bed, hips humping the air frantically as she cried his name.

Tommy stroked himself as he watched, feeling his balls tighten with each stroke of his hand, signaling that his climax was close. She was shaking all over, cumming so hard for him and _fuck_ , he needed to be inside her _now_.

Tommy crawled back over her writhing form, lining himself up with her once more before slipping back inside, causing her to squeal. He almost came immediately from how tight and wet she was, still in the throes of her climax. He braced his left hand on the side of her head, getting a good grip on her hips with his right as he fucked her through her orgasm, headboard banging rapidly against the wall. She kept cumming all over his cock, his stomach and thighs now covered in her wetness. Hearing her sob his name so loudly and seeing the tears in her eyes went straight to his groin, sending him careening into a shivering climax after only a few thrusts.

"Ah…ah…ah… _AH_!" He cried her name into her hair when he reached his peak, seed spilling into her in hot pulses as his climax washed over him. Her hand reached up behind her, tangling in his hair as she counterthrusted wildly, riding him hard through his orgasm. He bit into her shoulder, moaning reverently in her ear.

The green ranger stopped thrusting once he was completely spent, body slumped over, breaths coming in heavy bursts against the back of her neck. He thrust deep into her once more, savoring the feeling of the last waves of her orgasm on his cock one last time before regretfully pulling out and rolling over. His chest rose and fell heavily, cock now flaccid and wet as it rested against his abdomen.

The green ranger's eyes were closed, an expression of pure bliss on his face.

"That," he panted, "was the best sex… I've _ever_ had… in my life." He ran a hand along his chest. " _Fucking Christ_ , Kim."

The pink ranger let out a content moan next to him, using the last bit of her energy to roll onto her back.

He looked in her direction, smiling at the thin sheen of sweat that covered her body. His eyes trailed down, stopping at the apex of her thighs where he could see the evidence of their coupling.

"I can feel you staring at me. Stop it."

He grinned. "Just enjoying the view." He caressed her hip. "I like seeing you this way."

She scoffed. "Naked?"

"Relaxed. Properly fucked." He paused briefly. " _Mine_."

The pink ranger tensed at his possessive tone but said nothing to correct him. His hand slid up her stomach, thumb rubbing gentle circles into the skin just below her breasts. Her breaths came evenly under his touch.

Tommy grinned at the sleepy expression on her face.

"Tired?" he asked.

Her eyes were partially closed. "Mmm."

The green ranger sighed, staring up at the ceiling of her room.

He knew he should just leave right now. He had a training session tonight with Scorpina – no reason to hold it off any longer if they were done here.

' _Not to mention, the longer I'm here, the greater the chance of Lord Zedd finding out what we've been doing.'_ His pulse quickened at the thought of what the emperor might do to him if he found out what was going on.

He looked back over at the pink ranger, her breaths now slow and deep. He slid his sweatpants back up, tucking himself inside.

"Kim?" He whispered.

No response.

"Kim." Tommy leaned over, amused to see her knocked out.

The green ranger looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand.

10:18 PM.

He still had some time before he needed to be up at the palace to train with Scorpina, and no one was expecting him to show up until then. He glanced back at Kimberly, who was well on her way to dreamland.

"I could use a nap myself," he admitted, ignoring the part of him that told urged him to leave.

"Thirty minutes," he said to himself, stretching out alongside the sleeping pink ranger. "And then I'm gone."

* * *

 **Kimberly's Room**

 **Hart Residence**

 **Angel Grove, CA**

 **Monday, 11:37 PM**

The headboard rocked against the wall at a steady pace, heavy grunts and sighs mixed in between the loud bangs.

" _Sofuckinggood_ ," the green ranger moaned weakly, head buried in Kim's neck as he thrust into her forcefully. " _God,_ Kim."

 _The two had woken up earlier, Kim first, then Tommy. The pink ranger was confused to find a tanned arm wrapped tightly around her waist and a sweatpants-covered leg between her own. A muscled arm lay next to hers above her head on the pillows, and light snoring in her ear told her that Tommy was asleep._

 _The realization had her awake immediately._

 _Tommy was still here. Tommy was_ spooning _her._

 _She shifted in his arms and he groaned, cuddling her tighter against him. "Five more minutes…" he mumbled gruffly._

 _He was holding onto her in a koala grip. The ridiculousness of the situation hit her, and she laughed softly. "Tommy…"_

 _He made a derisive noise, arm wrapping around her a bit tighter. "No," he murmured childishly, burrowing his face deeper into her neck._

 _She reached between them, fingers digging into the sensitive spot between his ribs that she remembered finding so long ago. His reaction was immediate._

 _The green ranger gasped, grabbing her hand. He shot her an accusatory glare. Kim felt a pang in her chest, seeing so much of the old Tommy in him at that moment that it physically hurt._

" _I had to find some way to get you to let me go."_

 _His brow furrowed adorably before he looked around, suddenly aware of their current situation. But instead of immediately backing away from her like she expected, he yawned, lying back down and pulling her to him again. She tensed slightly in his hold before relaxing against him._

" _How long were we out?" he asked softly, hand reaching down to brush her hair._

 _She turned in his arms. "I don't know. I just woke up, too."_

 _He nodded, rubbing a hand over his face. "How are you feeling?"_

 _It was a loaded question. He wasn't just asking about her physical condition. He was asking about everything going on between them._

 _Kim reached out a hand, thumb brushing along his right eyebrow before trailing down to his lips._

" _I-I'm okay," she said._

" _Yeah?" His tone was skeptical and just a tad hopeful._

" _No," she admitted. His gaze dropped._

 _"But I will be." She paused. "I want to be with you."_

 _Tommy looked up at her, the smile on his face blinding, and she felt her heart tighten at his joy. He sat up, leaning over to press an eager kiss to her lips, mind heady with lust from her confession._

 _Kim reached up, tangling her fingers in his long hair as she sucked his tongue into her mouth. The green ranger felt a jolt straight to his groin from the erotic kiss. His hand trailed down to her damp curls, skilled fingers sliding between her thighs._

 _The pink ranger moaned at his touch, breath hitching when he slid first one then two fingers inside of her. Kim rocked her hips slowly against his hand as he fingered her at a lazy pace. His thumb rubbed firm circles against her clit, still sensitive from before. Kim gave a soft cry, already feeling the beginnings of another orgasm from the stimulation._

 _She gave a disappointed groan against his mouth when his fingers slipped out, a wet trail leading up her torso as he massaged her breasts beneath her shirt._

" _I wanna be inside you when you cum."_

 _The look in his eyes at those words was too intense, and she rolled over to break eye contact. She felt him shift behind her, could feel as he slipped his sweatpants down his long legs. Tommy slipped a hand between her thighs, lifting her right thigh into the air as he shuffled closer to her. The head of his cock rubbed against the lips of her sex._

 _Kim stared straight ahead, the amber light from her answering machine catching her eye as it shined brightly in the dark._

 _Jason's message._

 _She gasped when she felt the head of him nudge at her entrance, eyes fluttering closed. The green ranger shifted slightly behind her and then he was in to the hilt._

 _He pressed an open mouth kiss to her neck. "So tight. Jesus."_

 _Tommy gripped her thigh firmly, the other hand gripping the corner of the bed before snapping his hips upward for a deep thrust. The pink ranger cried out, head rolling back onto his shoulder._

 _His eyes flashed green at her cry, and with determination, he began to thrust vigorously into her._

Twenty minutes later, and the teens found themselves on the verge of climax.

"You're gonna make me cum so hard," he moaned hoarsely into her skin, desperation creeping into his voice. " _Fuck!_ "

The pink ranger thrust back against him eagerly, skin slapping hard against skin each time their hips made contact. She delighted in the way he whined against her neck. He was so close to the edge it was making him delirious.

Tommy wasn't quite sure what it was, but ever since she confessed she wanted to be with him, that she was actively choosing to be with him over being faithful to Jason, his arousal was through the roof.

The green ranger felt her tightening around him with each stroke, and the sensation made him lightheaded. He buried his head into the back of her hair. One arm wrapped around her shoulders and the other around her waist, holding her tight against him as he lost control and pounded up into her. Tommy closed his eyes, gasping with each stroke as every inch of him was buried within her again and again.

Kim braced a hand against the headboard, afraid she might slam her head into it from her hard he was fucking her.

"Kim… _Kim_ … ohgod… yes… yes… _fuck_ ," he yelled, losing his rhythm with each stroke. The rhythm of the headboard became erratic, and the springs of her mattress strained beneath them.

In his lustful haze, his eyes found the blinking amber light on her answering machine. Knowing that bastard Jason was at home, worried sick over his relationship with his girlfriend, while Tommy was here in her room, burying his cock as deep as he could into her pussy sent a thrill so intense down his spine, the coiling sensation that had been building in his abdomen finally snapped.

" _Ah!_ _Fuck, I'm gonna cum! Gonna cum so deep in your –AH!_ " his voice cracked as he crested. Tommy's eyes shined green, toes curling and hips bucking hard against hers as he spilled into her. He kept himself buried to the hilt, rolling his hips against hers to make sure that each wet burst of his seed went as deep as it could possibly go.

His hand slipped down, finding the sensitive bundle of nerves between her thighs and rubbing it quickly to bring her over the edge with him.

Kimberly cried out, her climax hitting her in waves. She rolled her hips against his, milking him of every last drop he had to give her. Tommy whined softly in her ear, shivering as she rode him through her orgasm. He whimpered as his climax began to ebb, hips still pumping the last hot spurts of his release into her, even as his cock began to soften.

He slipped from her body when he finished, rolling onto his back with a deep sigh. His heart was racing in his chest. The pink ranger was moaning softly beside him, still coming down from her own climax.

When she calmed, Kim leaned into him, hand playing with the tendrils sticking to his forehead.

"Not that I mind, but what was _that_ about? I've never seen you lose it like that before."

The green ranger took a deep breath, unsure of how to explain how the thought of her choosing him over Jason sent him spiraling over the edge. He knew she wouldn't be particularly receptive to that.

"It's a guy thing. Don't worry about it."

She was about to question him further but was interrupted by the phone ringing. Kim rolled over, picking it up and bringing it to her ear.

"Hello?"

" _ **Hi, sweetie. I'm on my way back home."**_

"Mom!" Kim turned to Tommy, eyes wild. "That's great. When will you be back?"

" _ **About ten, maybe fifteen minutes. Why are you breathing so hard?"**_

The pink ranger flushed while Tommy snickered. She nudged him in his side with her foot, making him groan.

"Sorry I was in the basement. Had to run upstairs to make it in time."

" _ **Oh, okay. Well, can you make sure the porch light is on? Don't won't to stumble into the house in the dark."**_

"Sure thing, mom. I'll see you soon. Bye." Kim ran her hands through her hair, hanging up the phone.

"You _have_ to get out of here."

He pouted. "She said about fifteen minutes, Kim. There's no rush." He sat up on his elbows, peering around her at the alarm clock on the nightstand.

"It's only – "

11:43 PM flashed back at him in bright red.

"Oh _shit_ ," he mumbled, clambering to his feet. "I need to go."

He was supposed to meet Scorpina for a training session almost an hour ago. She was going to kill him.

Kim watched him with a curious expression. "Home? Or to your master?"

Tommy paused, sweatpants back up around his waist. "Don't start, Kim. You knew what this was the moment you asked me to come over tonight."

The pink ranger looked away, eyes locking on the flashing amber light on her answering machine.

Jason.

' _God, this is such a fucking mess.'_

She pinched the bridge of her nose, taking a deep breath before rising to her feet. She grabbed her underwear and shorts off the floor, pulling them back on. She moved to her bed, ripping off the sheets and piling them on the floor.

They needed to be washed.

The green ranger slipped his Bart Simpson t-shirt over his head, bending down to grab his socks and shoes. Kim watched quietly as he got dressed.

"You do this more often than I do," she started. "What's the normal thing to say in a situation like this?"

Tommy paused as he tied his shoelaces. Kim wasn't the first girl he'd slept with – certainly not the first who was currently dating someone else.

He stood up, walking over to stand before her.

"If you say 'Thank you', I will _literally_ punch you in the face."

The green ranger grinned, hands reaching up to cup her face. "I wasn't gonna say that."

He leaned down as she stood on the tips of her toes, lips pressing together gently. He pulled back slightly, forehead resting against hers.

"I was gonna say we should _really_ do this again some time."

She scowled, shoving at his chest while he laughed. He grabbed her hands, pulling her forward and wrapping her arms around his waist as his rested on her lower back.

"Look, I know you still don't feel entirely comfortable with what's going on between us. I get that, honestly." He rubbed gently along her spine. "But I also know that just like me, you want this – you _need_ this."

Kim rested her face against his chest as she listened to him.

"It'll get easier. Let's just take it a day at a time, all right?" He felt her nod against his chest.

"Good." He kissed her again, harder this time. "I gotta go. See you later."

The pink ranger watched him disappear in a flash of green light. She sighed, staring at the pile of laundry she now needed to take care of.

Kim stretched her limbs, heading over to the window and opening the blinds. She undid the latches, opening the window to allow the cool night breeze into her room.

She needed to get the smell of sex out of her room.

Kim grabbed the air freshener on her dresser, spraying it around the room to kill the smell. Satisfied that her room now smelled more like lemon than sex, she set the spray down.

The pink ranger gathered up her damp sheets, pausing on her way out of the room when she came to stand next to the answering machine.

The amber light flashed up at her and a '1' showed on the small screen. Her fingers skimmed the buttons on the panel, tracing lightly across the word 'PLAY'. Kim bit her lip, fingers dancing uncertainly across the various buttons before pushing down on one of them.

"MESSAGE DELETED. YOU HAVE NO NEW MESSAGES."

The pink ranger closed her eyes, trying her best to ignore the wave of betrayal threatening to drown her.

She made her choice. Now she has to live with it.

* * *

 _ **AN:** I am looking for a new beta. If anyone is interested, send me a PM. Also, the last two chapters of  Cost of Revenge: Lost will be up before the end of the year._

 _Thanks! - CA_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note:** Here's chapter two of this series!_

 _My next upload will be back in the main Cost series, but I wanted to get this one out first. This chapter focuses on Kimberly and sort of the head-space she's in during_ Control _. I wanted to explore what's she's thinking and give some insight into why she's made certain choices so far. I also think (or at least hope) that this sheds some light on why she's so bitter and pissed with Tommy in_ Lost _. The goal isn't to make her sympathetic or likable with this chapter - just to provide her perspective. It also provides some insight into the progression of the relationship between the pink and green rangers in_ Control.

 _As a warning, this chapter contains mature scenes, both T/K and brief J/K. So if that's not your thing, you should probably move along._

 _Otherwise, here ya go! Please forgive any errors - I'm still in need of a beta._

* * *

 **Hart Residence**

 **Kimberly's Room**

 **Angel Grove, CA**

 **4:26 AM**

 _Thirteen-year-old Kimberly Hart pushed around the spaghetti on her plate with halfhearted interest. A meatball teetered precariously on the edge, seconds away from falling onto the wooden dining table. Her mother sat across from her eating quietly. Her older brother Kenny was skipping dinner tonight, planning instead to eat at a friend's house while they finished up their senior project for woodshop._

 _She had been debating asking her mom a question all week and had finally plucked up the courage to go for it tonight._

" _Mom? C-can I ask you something?"_

 _Her mother smiled at her. "Of course."_

 _Kim bit her lip. "And you promise to tell the truth, no matter what?"_

 _Caroline paused, setting her fork down on the table to focus fully on her daughter. "That's the rule, right?"_

 _The rule in their house had always been if someone was old enough to ask the question, they were old enough to hear the answer. It certainly made for some very interesting moments in the Hart household raising two inquisitive children like Kenny and Kimberly._

" _Dad did something really bad, didn't he? That's why you're getting a divorce?"_

 _Caroline's eyes closed briefly, unprepared for the question, though not entirely surprised it was asked. Kim had taken her parents' recent announcement to divorce very hard. Things had seemed fine between them until one day she came home from school to her dad piling all of his belongings into a car, face flushed with anger. Jason, Trini, and Zack watched beside her as her mom screamed at her dad from the porch, eyes puffy and red with tears streaming down her face. The three had awkwardly said goodbye to Kimberly, knowing that whatever was going on with her family did not need an audience._

" _Your father made a mistake," she said softly. "A mistake that is too difficult for us to get past together."_

 _The teen dropped her fork with a clang. "But you love each other!" she said adamantly. "Shouldn't you at least try?"_

 _Her mother's eyes softened. "Kimberly…"_

" _You and dad have been together since you were in college, mom. How can you guys just throw all of that away?"_

 _Mrs. Hart sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Your father and I put everything into this marriage to make it work, Kimberly, believe me. And even though we love each other, sometimes it just isn't enough. Sometimes… sometimes the best thing you can do is let something go before things reach the point of no return."_

 _The thirteen-year-old considered her mother's words, not entirely sure she understood what her mother meant._

 _Kim scratched at the tablecloth angrily. "Did you even try to forgive him? For me and Kenny?"_

 _Caroline's eyes hardened. "Some things can't be forgiven."_

" _Where's he going to live?" she asked softly, fear creeping into her voice. "Will I be able to see him again?"_

 _She didn't see her father very often now – seeing him even less scared the teenager._

 _Caroline grimaced. "Your father and I still need to work out the details, but yes, you'll be able to see him. He'll most likely visit here instead of you going to his place."_

 _The teen's face scrunched up in confusion. "Why can't I go to his place?"_

 _Her mother paused, choosing her words carefully. "I'm not sure it would be in everyone's best interest for you to be there."_

" _But…" she bit her lip, concern growing on her young face, "who's going to take care of him then? We can't just leave him by himself."_

" _He won't be alone," her mother responded softly._

" _What do – " Kimberly digested this information slowly, body growing hot with anger when she finally understood what her mother was saying._

" _He cheated on you, didn't he?" she asked bitterly. When she saw her mother tense up, Kim continued. "Is he going to have a new family now, too?"_

 _Caroline said nothing, though her grip on her fork was noticeably tight._

 _Kim picked at her food again, no longer hungry. "I hate him."_

" _No, you don't, sweetie."_

" _Yes, I do," Kim said angrily, tears stinging her eyes. "How could he do this to us? To you? If you love someone, you don't hurt them. You love them and protect them and treat them like they're your whole world!"_

 _Caroline smiled sadly at her daughter. "Sometimes, it can't be helped, no matter how hard you try. Life doesn't always work out the way you want. You'll learn that when you're older."_

 _Her mom reached across the table, squeezing her daughter's arm lovingly. "You're hurt and you're angry, sweetie, but you don't hate your father. You love him just as much as you always have – and it's okay to love him but be disappointed in his actions."_

 _The teen wiped fiercely at the tears on her cheeks. "Don't you hate him?"_

 _There was a long pause._

" _No," her mother answered after some contemplation. "I hate the choices he's made recently, but I could never hate him. He gave me you and Kenny and some really great years together. I wouldn't trade that for anything."_

 _The future pink ranger looked away from her mother, attention focused on her spaghetti again._

 _She didn't care what her mother said – she_ did _hate her father. He was a liar and a coward and not worthy of her respect. To do that to her mom – to their family – was simply unforgivable. How could she look him in the eye knowing what he'd done? The kind of person he was? How could she be expected to still love him?_

 _The tears were rolling down her face steadily as she forced herself to finish her dinner, no longer able to taste the food. Her dad was her hero – how could he have it in him to do something like this?_

 _It barely registered for the young girl when her mother made her way around the table, pulling Kimberly into her arms and running a soothing hand along her back. Caroline whispered words of comfort to her daughter, but they had no effect._

 _Her father wasn't the man she thought he was, and his 'mistake' had now broken their family beyond repair…_

A jarring shift on the mattress roused the pink ranger with a tired groan. Kimberly blinked blearily at her alarm clock, able to make out the bright red numbers glaring back at her.

4:26 AM.

She felt something heavy wrap around her waist, tugging her against a solid mass. A head tucked itself into the crook of her neck, hair tickling the nape of her neck.

Tommy.

Kim sighed sleepily, turning slightly to look at him. "Hi."

He grinned. "Hi." He bent down, kissing her softly on the mouth.

"You stayed the night?" she asked, voice thick with sleep. She felt him nod against her.

"I'm glad," she said softly, turning on her side so that her back was to him, fingers twining with his about her waist.

Tommy stared down at her, hand brushing gently against her hair as she started to drift off again.

He had been in such a bad mood the night before due to a horrible training session with Goldar that ended with the two nearly coming to blows. Scorpina was away at a war council, so Goldar was put back in charge of his training until she returned.

As expected, things didn't go very well.

Tommy could grudgingly admit that the Tarmakian wasn't entirely to blame for the disastrous session. Goldar was actually a fair instructor, possessing far more patience than Tommy thought he was capable of.

No, the blame lie mostly with him.

His concentration had been off ever since Kim went out of town.

The pink ranger had been away the last three days, spending her time over in Los Angeles to compete in an important gymnastics meet. She and her mother had left early Tuesday afternoon for L.A., checking into their hotel that evening. The gymnast spent all day Wednesday and Thursday morning competing, coming in first place in every event. They then celebrated with lunch at In-N-Out, a special treat given the strict diet the pink ranger had been on in preparation for the meet. They hadn't made it back to Angel Grove until late last night.

The green ranger had been waiting impatiently in his room for her call, a wide grin spreading across his face when she informed him that they had just gotten back to Angel Grove. He could hear the fatigue in her voice, able to tell immediately that Kim would be in no mood to be doing much of anything that evening.

That didn't change the fact that he still wanted to see her.

Kim had been surprised to see the green flash of light in her room, eyebrow raised when Tommy materialized in front of her in sweatpants and a t-shirt. She was in her pajamas, midway in the process of crawling under the covers and going to bed.

She had watched with a curious expression as he slowly made his way over to her, taking off his shirt and climbing in beside her under the covers. She shivered when he pulled her flush against him, head resting against hers on her shoulder. The two said nothing as they cuddled together on her bed, falling asleep soundly as he held her.

The green ranger had gotten so used to her being in his bed when he fell asleep that not having her there had thrown everything off. It was the first night of peaceful sleep he'd had since she'd left.

The last time they were together was the evening before she left for the competition, and while he certainly missed her body, Tommy found himself missing her company more and more. Despite his best efforts, Tommy had been failing to safely tuck his relationship with Kimberly into the 'sex-only' category. The sex was incredible – mindblowing, in fact – but there was always something else there. An extra touch. A stray kiss. Prolonged cuddling. A few more minutes of pillow talk.

It was bringing feelings from before he was the green ranger roaring to the surface. Feelings he had wanted to stay buried. Feelings he _needed_ to stay buried in order to stay alive.

Now, in the darkness of the early morning, an awake Tommy pressed a soft kiss to her shoulder, followed by another, and then again to the side of her neck. He continued on, alternating between her shoulder, neck, and cheek. The pink ranger moaned softly from the attention, neck craning to allow him better access while she continued to sleep.

Her soft moans went straight to his groin, and he gripped her around the waist, tugging until she rolled over onto her back. Tommy cupped her face in his hand, pressing his lips to hers. She moaned into the kiss, mouth opening for him to stroke his tongue against hers. He reached down between their bodies, pushing the comforter down to their navels and tugging her shirt up to her neck. Tommy moaned into her mouth, drinking in the taste of her, not sure how he could have gone so long without kissing her.

Kimberly gasped when she felt soft lips latching onto her right breast. She stretched her arms above her head, back arching to push more of her into the wet cavern of his mouth. He massaged her left breast gently, teasing and tugging on the pink nipple playfully with calloused fingers. Tommy shoved the comforter down further, pushing it off of her and tossing it above their heads to rest against the headboard. He leaned over to suckle on her left breast. Kim gave a light moan, still half-asleep but receptive to the attention.

The green ranger snaked a hand beneath the sheets, slipping under her shorts to stroke her over the thin material of her panties. She sighed, thighs spreading slowly. He took a hardened nipple into his mouth, sucking on it gently before nipping the pebbled flesh, hand still slowly rubbing her covered sex.

Tommy pushed the sheets away from her legs, spreading her thighs more with his hand. He bent down, tongue dipping into her navel while his teeth grazed her skin. He heard her gasp above him, and he licked the sensitive flesh again.

The pink ranger blinked down at him sleepily, barely registering when he slid her shorts down her legs and onto the floor. She felt his hands brush up and down her thighs and she exhaled loudly, face turning to burrow into the pillow. The green ranger leaned up one last time to take her right nipple into his mouth before crawling on top of her, pushing her legs open wide so that he was between her thighs.

Tommy grinned, seeing from her expression that she still wasn't fully awake yet. He bent down, pressing soft kisses along her pelvis and inner thighs, hands tugging to push her panties to the side and expose her sex to him. He moved so that his lips brushed against damp curls, wrapping an arm underneath each thigh as he slowly licked her from end to end.

She gasped loudly from the contact, hips rocking slowly against the bed. Tommy gripped her thighs, slipping his tongue deep inside of her. Kim turned her head, groaning softly into the large pillow.

He ate her out at a languid pace, alternating between deep pushes of his tongue and firm sucks on her clit. He could hear her moans growing heavier, her hips grinding up against his tongue to increase the friction. Her head rolled against the pillow to the other side, moans increasing in pitch when he pushed his tongue deep into her and curled it. The green ranger continued on for a few minutes, waiting until she was trembling and glistening wet before pulling away.

Tommy sat up, fingers locking onto her panties and pulling them off. He crawled back over her, kissing her firmly while grinding his erection into her. He dipped back down to suck on her breasts, suckling each nipple with his tongue before moving back up to kiss her. Kim ground her hips up against his, and he could feel her wetness on the cloth of his boxers.

The green ranger sat up on his knees, shoving his boxers down and scrambling to pull them off, tossing them behind him onto the carpet. Kim stared up at him, eyes still heavy from sleepiness. He reached behind her knees, tugging gently so that she slid down to rest against his thighs. He leaned forward, holding her legs in the crooks of his arms. Tommy kissed her again, shifting his hips until he felt the head of him press against her entrance and slip in, causing her to gasp. He rocked against her, sliding deeper into her with each roll of his hips. He broke their kiss, sitting up so that one of her legs lay splayed against the bed while the other was up in the air, bent so that her foot rest against his shoulder. Kim groaned, head rolling back into the pillows.

Tommy set a slow pace, pumping into her with deep, measured strokes as he gripped her thigh and hip for balance. Kim grabbed the pillows behind her head, eyes closed and mouth open wide.

"Oh…" she moaned softly. "Oh… _ohh_ … ohhh… _mmm_ …"

The green ranger pumped his hips a little faster into her. She was tight and hot around him, and the soft little mewling sounds she made were killing him softly. He could see her face clearly from this angle under the moonlight shining through her window blinds, able to see how much pleasure she was feeling as it played out across her face in vivid detail.

" _Mmm_ …" she moaned weakly, hands gripping the comforter behind her head. " _Unh_ …"

Kim stared up at him, vision still a bit bleary. Tommy was panting above her, eyes closed, hips rocking against hers at a steady rhythm. She was still a little out of it and a tad confused, but at the moment, she was too tired and horny to care. He was inside of her, and he was thick and deep and _fuck_ , she was cumming

"Ah… _ah!_ " she moaned weakly. She bit her lip, trembling slightly from the heat coursing through her veins. Tommy grinned when he felt her thighs tremble, her walls clamping down around him.

A loud, wet sound was soon heard after each thrust. Tommy could feel her essence coating his cock, balls, and thighs. He groaned through gritted teeth. He hadn't expected her to cum that hard, not that he was complaining.

Tommy kept pumping into her, keeping his thrusts deep and controlled so as not to rock the headboard. The mattress springs were squeaking softly beneath them, though not enough to wake her mother down the hall.

"Ohhh…. _unh…unh_ …. _mm…unh_ …." She inhaled deeply, arching her back and gripping the pillow behind her hard. Tommy released a shuddering breath, involuntarily thrusting faster in an attempt to bury himself deeper into the blissful sensations around his cock.

The green ranger leaned down to kiss her hotly, pushing her leg against her chest, tongue tangling with hers while his hands were braced around her thigh and in her hair. He broke the kiss, forehead pressed against hers as he pounded into her, gripping the headboard tightly to dampen the sound. Kimberly cried out against his mouth, gasps changing to high moans when she peaked again, toes curling and hands gripping his biceps. Tommy let out a strangled grunt when he reached his own climax, seed pouring deep into her with each frantic thrust. They cried out each other's names as they came together, skin slapping wetly against skin as they rode out their orgasms.

"Jesus," he whispered against her cheek, hand sliding down to fondle her right breast as the last waves of his release rocked him. He slipped out of her and sat back onto his knees when he was done, her legs falling about his waist.

Kimberly pulled him back on top of her, latching onto his lips and kissing him hotly. Her nails scored his chest, eventually sliding up to tangle in his long, curly locks. His hands skimmed her body, firmly massaging her breasts and teasing the hardened nipples. Tommy ground himself against her, getting hard again from the friction between their bodies. As they continued to kiss, Tommy shifted his hips, sliding his now fully-erect cock back into her pussy until he was all the way in. He grinned at the gasp she let out once he was back inside of her, eyes shining green with smug satisfaction.

His arms slid beneath her knees, hands braced against the bed, spreading her wide open for him as he began to thrust. Kimberly bit her lip, eyes closing as his strokes came slow but sharp. Tommy bent down, pulling her bottom lip into his mouth and sucking it teasingly. She felt him groan when she sucked his tongue into her mouth, and he inhaled each soft pant she released against his lips.

He thrust a bit faster into her, enjoying the way she moaned and twisted beneath him. Her moans grew louder suddenly, and her nails dug into his chest when she felt she was going to cum again. Tommy kissed her hard, speeding up his thrusts and swallowing her desperate cries as best he could. Her walls tugged on him hard, and with a loud gasp, she broke their kiss, head rolling back onto the pillow.

Tommy latched onto her neck, licking at the sensitive spot he knew drove her wild. Her left hand gripped the back of his neck, while her right gripped his ass, holding him firmly against her. The pink ranger gnashed her teeth, unable to fight the surge of raw pleasure that overcame her. Tommy felt her shudder against him, thighs shaking in his grasp.

"Ah!... AH!... _AH!_ " she cried into his ear, each cry higher in pitch than the one before, her eyes shut tightly as her orgasm raced through her like fire. Tommy never slowed down, green eyes shining brightly as he put more force behind each pump of his hips, reveling in how she cried out again and again. She was cumming hard and wet for him, pussy gripping him _just_ right, and he wanted to drag out her climax for as long as possible.

Kimberly whined into his neck, thighs trembling as he continued to surge deep into her. She jerked beneath him, nails digging into his skin as she tried to anchor herself against the pleasure rocking her body. The green ranger kept his pace steady, offering no reprieve and forcing her to face every delicious pulse of her orgasm head-on.

He wanted to make sure she knew how good he could make her feel.

Tommy pressed hot open-mouthed kisses along her neck as he fucked her, lost in the feel of her around him.

" _Mmm…so good…_ " he whispered into her neck. " _Unh…ungh…yeah…yeah…_ "

" _Ohfuck…ohfuck…please…._ " she moaned weakly, thighs trembling. Tommy maintained his rhythm of deep, slow strokes, mouth latching on to a pebbled nipple and sucking firmly. Her abdomen contracted while her hips rotated against his, riding his cock in tight circles as she gripped the sheets. She whimpered when the pleasure between her thighs didn't let up, each stroke of his cock keeping her on the edge of bliss.

Every so often she would cry out his name, walls clamping down on him like a hot vice for several seconds and then relaxing again, leaving a fresh coat of wetness around his pistoning cock. Tommy felt her sobbing into his chest with pleasure after each thrust, arching beneath him again and again while her nails dug into his flesh.

" _Ah! Ah!_ " Her thighs trembled in his arms, head flying back against the pillows. " _I'm gonna scream… I'mgonnascream…ohmygod…_ " she warned between gasps, voice rising in pitch as her face contorted.

The green ranger thrust harder, hand sliding up to cover her mouth as she shook and wailed into his palm. Her hips lifted off the bed, smacking against his sporadically. Tommy bit his lip hard enough to draw blood in order to keep from shooting his load then and there. He adjusted his grip to hold her thighs down and open, and she buried her face into his chest to muffle her screams. He rolled his hips against hers, grunting in her ear as he rode her hard through her orgasm.

With shaky hands, Kimberly pushed at his shoulders, a silent plea for him to stop so that she could come down from her peak. Tommy reluctantly slowed down, coming to a halt only when she begged him to stop. He slipped out of her, cock slick with her creamy wetness.

The pink ranger sighed, a pleased smile playing on her lips as she ran a hand up and down her body, tugging at her nipples periodically. Kim could feel Tommy's large hands running up and down her body, paying extra attention to the flesh around her hips. He kept this up for several minutes, tenderly massaging her calves, thighs, stomach, and breasts, as well. He refrained from making contact with the area between her thighs in order to give her time to come down from her last climax but continued to stimulate the sensitive areas of her body to keep her on edge. Kim sighed when he took her breast into his mouth, tugging and suckling one pink nipple to a pebbled hardness while brushing a calloused hand over the other.

She shivered when she felt him grab her by the hips, tugging her forward until their pelvises made contact. He sat up on his legs, lifting and angling her body so that her head rest against the bed while her lower half was suspended in the air, resting on top of his thighs. Her legs wrapped around his waist.

The green ranger pushed deep inside her and set a steady pace, grip firm but gentle on her hips. His hands slid around her body, gripping her ass and pulling her higher up on his waist. Kim gasped, eyes fluttering closed as her back arched, letting him slide in deeper.

Tommy watched her play with her breasts, eyes flashing a brighter green each time she cried out, her head tilted back against the pillow. He was using every ounce of strength to keep from cumming again but watching her like this, he knew he didn't want to hold out much longer.

He tugged her towards him again, pulling her tighter against his hips. He guided her up and down his cock, the ridge of his length sliding along her clit at a new angle, sending her careening over the edge after a few more strokes.

" _Ohmygod_ ," she whined breathlessly, body trembling wildly. Her left hand squeezed his forearm, while her right hand gripped the sheets, tugging hard on the fabric. Tommy adjusted his hold on her, arms wrapping around her waist to keep her in place as she shook and twisted in his arms.

Tommy leaned forward, rising up a bit higher on his knees, left arm wrapped around her waist while his right hand braced against the bed. He pulled her closer to him so that only her head and feet rest on the bed. He held her just where he wanted, the angle perfect as he thrust firm and deep, eyes shut as he gave in to the sensations coursing through him. He whimpered as her walls tugged along his cock.

"Oh… _ohshit_ … _ohfuck_... _ah…AH_ ," he rasped out, fingers digging into the mattress. The coiling sensation in his abdomen grew tighter each time he slid into her, her soft gasps heightening his pleasure.

" _Unh…unh… hnng…ohgod…Kim_ … _hnng…_ " Her pussy was the tightest, wettest heat he'd ever felt, and the feel of her was just too much for the green ranger to bear. His hips rolled faster against hers, balls tightening up and cock swelling. With a few more thrusts, he released a deep moan, shuddering as he spilled inside of her in hot, thick bursts.

Tommy panted heavily, hips rolling to a stop when his orgasm finally subsided. He was still deep inside of her, although no longer hard. He leaned down to kiss her, sucking her tongue into his mouth with a moan as they fell against the bed.

He broke the kiss with a grin, forehead pressed against hers. "So…welcome back."

Kimberly laughed, still slightly out of breath. She leaned up, kissing him softly on the lips.

"That was one hell of a wakeup call," she mumbled against his mouth.

He laughed, nipping at the skin at the base of her throat. "It's your own fault."

Kim raised an eyebrow. "How do you figure that? Because if I recall, two people were involved here."

Tommy grinned. "If it didn't feel so damn good being inside of you, I'd have more self-control." He licked the shell of her ear, tugging the lobe between his teeth. His hips rocked against hers lightly, cock sliding gently along her walls.

The pink ranger rolled her eyes, pushing at his chest. He rolled off of her and lay down in the space beside her on the bed. He frowned when she climbed out of the bed, pulling on her panties and shorts and tugging her shirt back down her torso.

"Where are you going?"

"Bathroom," she said around a yawn, heading to her bedroom door. The green ranger grinned lecherously at the slight wobble in her gait.

When Kimberly returned, Tommy was laying on his stomach, sweatpants and boxers back on. He held her medals from the gymnastics meet in his hand. She clambered onto the bed behind him, lying along his back and tucking her chin onto his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his stomach.

"Four gold medals _and_ a trophy?" he asked in mock surprise. "I guess medals just aren't enough for you anymore."

She snorted, nipping softly at the skin behind his ear. "Shut up."

She felt him shake with laughter.

"It's not that big a deal, really."

Kim heard him scoff. "She says as she adds more awards to her ever-growing collection." His thumb ran over the inscription. "Kim, this is awesome. Seriously. You placed first at state."

She shrugged, blushing fiercely from his praise.

"So does this mean you're going to try out for the Pan Globals?"

The pink ranger groaned, burying her face into his back. "I don't know. I want to but…" She bit her lip.

The green ranger placed the medals back on her nightstand. He turned beneath her so that she was resting against his chest. A hand skimmed up and down her back softly.

"But what?"

She sighed. "I don't want to tell you. You'll just judge me."

"Probably," he mumbled, snickering when she smacked his chest. He grabbed her hand, twining their fingers together.

"Look, you've been talking about going to the Pan Globals ever since I first met you. Probably even before that. It's been your dream to compete and train with that famous gymnastics coach. You know you're gonna be on his radar now that you've placed first at state."

He ran his fingers through her hair. "Are you scared you won't make the team?"

"No," she said quickly, flinching at his knowing gaze. "…Yes." She laid her head against his chest.

The green ranger rolled his eyes, hand massaging the back of her neck.

"Then you're worried for nothing," he stated confidently, lips brushing against the top of her head. "You're damn good, Kim, and anyone that says otherwise is an idiot."

The pink ranger grinned, sitting up to look at him. She pressed a soft kiss against his lips.

"Thank you."

Tommy gave a slight smile, eyes scanning her face briefly before pulling her in for another kiss. Their lips met again and again, each kiss longer and more sensual than the previous.

A loud knock at the door startled the teens, breaking their heated kiss.

"Kim, sweetie? You awake?"

The pink ranger groaned, pushing herself up to her knees. Was it really 6:00 AM already?

"I'm up, mom!" she called out, straddling the green ranger's waist. "Getting ready now!"

Tommy pulled her back down on top of him, hand cupping the sides of her face as he kissed her again. Kim sighed against his lips, kissing him back just as passionately. When his hands slid down to cup her ass, she jerked, pulling back from him.

"Nope, no," she said strongly, amusement lacing her tone. "You're trying to seduce me. No."

The green ranger grinned, leaning up and sucking on her neck. She gasped, hands twining in his hair briefly as her eyes rolled back into her head.

"No." She pushed him back down, smiling at the pout on his face. "We have to go to school."

She gave him one last kiss before climbing out of the bed, giggling when he made a swipe for her behind. The green ranger sighed, sinking back into the plush pillows on her bed.

He had forgotten about school, so wrapped up in seeing Kimberly again. "Dammit."

Tommy watched her move across the room, pulling out various articles of clothing and tossing them on the floor. She finally settled on a white crop top and denim skirt, setting the outfit on her desk. Tommy climbed out of the bed, walking up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist.

Kimberly giggled each time he pressed a kiss to the sensitive spot behind her ear.

"Mmm," he groaned in her ear, left hand snaking underneath her shirt to fondle her breasts. He tweaked her nipples playfully. "Wanna shower together? Save water and all that?"

Kim bit her lip, admittedly enticed by the idea of showering with him. The last time they attempted to do so was at his house, which ended in a highly erotic session involving his detachable high-speed showerhead. They didn't have time for that right now, and really, they needed to get ready for school.

Kimberly pulled away from him reluctantly, moving out of his arms and putting some distance between them.

"I think you need to shower in your own home. Cool down a bit, yeah?"

The pout that crossed his face made her laugh out loud.

Three more knocks on her down drew her attention away from Tommy.

"Kimberly? Everything all right?" The golden doorknob began to twist, causing the teens to panic.

The pink ranger rushed past Tommy, opening the door and sticking her head out to greet her mom.

"I'm good, mom. Just grabbing something to wear. I'll be in the shower in a bit," she said quickly, slightly out of breath.

Kim closed and locked the door with a soft click, grabbing Tommy's t-shirt off the floor and shoving it into his hands.

"You have to leave. Now."

"Fine," he said grumpily, slipping the Bruce Lee t-shirt over his head.

The green ranger leaned down, kissing her firmly on the mouth, hands wrapping around her waist. "I'll see you later?"

She smiled against his lips. "Bye, Tommy," she said softly, pulling out of his grasp.

He gave her one last peck and was gone then in a flash of green light. She smiled, grabbing her clothes off the desk and heading to the bathroom.

It felt good to be back home.

* * *

 **Angel Grove High School**

 **Library**

 **Angel Grove, CA**

 **1:03 PM**

Kimberly scribbled away in her notebook, taking notes from her calculus book as she worked through example problems in preparation for Mrs. Graham's exam on Monday. The woman was an amazing math teacher, but her tests were absolutely brutal. The pink ranger would need to spend all weekend studying if she wanted to get a decent grade on the midterm.

She furrowed her brow at the latest problem. "Billy, how do you solve number seventeen? I've tried a substitution, but that's not getting me anywhere."

The blond teen leaned across the table to peer at her notes, glasses slipping down his slim nose.

"Ah, I see the problem. You only executed one substitution. To solve this problem, a minimum of four substitutions are needed."

Kim bit her bottom lip, annoyed with herself when it became obvious how to solve the problem now that Billy gave her the hint.

"Hm. Okay, let me try and see if I get anywhere."

The blue ranger nodded, returning back to reading his physics textbook.

The two rangers were in study hall, books and papers scattered all over their table in the library. Kim was a bit behind on work due to her gymnastics meet, and while she normally used study hall as a free period to goof off with her friends, she actually needed the time to get caught up today. Unfortunately, it was taking her a little longer than usual to get through everything. There was a dull throb between her thighs that refused to go away, leaving her in a distracting state of arousal ever since that morning.

She mentally cursed Tommy to hell and back.

Billy and Trini had been kind enough to take notes for her while she away in Los Angeles. She knew she'd be missing a bit being gone for three days, but she hadn't expected so much material to be covered while she was out. She frowned, knowing her weekend was shot to hell now with all the material she needed to review.

The library was empty save for the few students who were also in study hall. Zack was sitting at a nearby table, more focused on his girlfriend Angela than the work in front of him. Mrs. McDonald, the librarian, was glaring daggers at him over the brim of her glasses.

Every so often, the black ranger would glance in Kim's direction, indecision clear on his face. After some time, Kim could see he had resolved himself to do whatever he was thinking, and he stood up, heading in her direction after whispering something to Angela.

"Hey Kim, Billy," he said once he was near their table. "Kim, can I talk to you for a sec? In private?"

"Okay…" she said slowly, rising from her seat to follow him to a secluded corner in the back of the library. She could the blue ranger following them with his eyes.

"What's up, Zack?"

The black ranger sighed, a hand running over his face roughly. "I know I'm overstepping boundaries here, and I apologize for that, but somebody has to do something."

Kim raised an eyebrow. "Zack, just spit it out."

"What the hell is going on between you and Jason?"

The pink ranger's eyebrows shot up her forehead. " _Excuse_ me?"

"Did you two get into a fight or something?" he pressed.

Her nostrils flared in anger. "What goes on between me and Jason is _none_ of your concern, Zack," she said tersely.

"It is when it's affecting the team," he said in a harsh whisper. "Billy's too nice to say anything, and Trini's trying to stay out of it, but I won't. It's my job as second-in-command to handle things if Jason isn't able to, and right now, _he can't_."

She glared at him. "There's nothing wrong, Zack."

"Bullshit," he spat out immediately.

Her jaw clenched tightly. _'Was it really that noticeable?'_

Zack looked at her incredulously. "You're _really_ gonna stand there and lie to my face? Everyone's walking on eggshells when the two of you are around each other, and Jason hasn't been able to concentrate at all."

The black ranger lowered his voice when he heard the librarian clear her throat, a subtle warning that they were getting too loud.

"I almost ran him through in training the other day with my axe because he wasn't focused. That doesn't happen to Jase, Kim. You _know_ that."

Her anger cooled at his words. "What?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah. Almost sliced him in half." His arms crossed his chest. "And then he snapped at Zordon when the big guy asked him what was wrong."

At her surprised expression, Zack let out a soft laugh. "I know; I couldn't believe it either. Told him to shut up and leave him alone, then teleported right out of the Command Center. I've never seen him lose his temper with him like that before. It was crazy."

The pink ranger closed her eyes, guilt coiling in her belly.

The black ranger sighed. "Listen, I'm not trying to make you feel bad or pick sides or anything, all right? Jason's a big boy and can take care of his own problems. I'm just – I'm trying to keep our team together."

He sagged against the nearby bookshelf, and Kim could see how much this was burdening him.

"Jase is my best friend, Kim, and so are you. He's been miserable for days and you've been distant – not just with him, with all of us." She looked away from him. "I don't know what's going on with you, and you don't have to tell me, but please figure it out. We're depending on you two, but it's like you're not even here lately.

"And with Zedd on the scene and Tommy" – She flinched at the mention of the green ranger – "We can't let anything break us up, Kim. There's too much at stake if we fall apart now."

The black ranger walked up to her. "I don't care about the details whatever is going on between you and Jase. Maybe you're just hitting a rough patch, maybe things are…" He didn't finish, though it was clear what he was implying.

He took a deep breath. "We're power rangers first, and if whatever personal shit you guys have going on is interfering with that, then it needs to be squashed."

Seeing the unshed tears in her eyes, he rubbed her arms gently. "I'm sorry I had to come at you like that, but it needed to be said."

She sniffed. "Can I assume you had a similar talk with Jason or am I just lucky?"

Zack scoffed. "Trust me, what I said to him was _way_ worse than this. Believe me." They both chuckled softly at that.

His eyes softened as he looked at her, and Zack held his arms open, pulling her into a tight hug. He pressed a kiss to the side of her head.

"Hey, I still love you, all right? No matter what's going on with you, you're always gonna be my little sis," he murmured into her skin.

She squeezed him tighter around his waist, hoping he truly meant those words.

He pulled back, hands cupping the sides of her face. "Now handle this, okay?"

She nodded, forehead pressing against his briefly before he released her. Kim watched him head out of the library, smiling slightly at the flirtatious wink he sent to the librarian behind the counter as he rejoined Angela at their table.

The pink ranger made her way back to her table slowly, thoughts racing a mile a minute. Billy looked up at her, concern etched on his face.

He pushed his glasses up the ridge of his nose. "Is everything okay, Kimberly?"

She gave a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah, everything's fine."

Kimberly looked down at her papers, eyes unfocused. Any chance of getting caught up on her work today was gone now thanks to Zack.

She wasn't mad at the black ranger – far from it actually. Zack was always honest with her, never pulling any punches and not afraid to say the things others wouldn't. His concern was for both of his friends, and it was coming from a place of love. He only wanted what was best for the team.

The pink ranger understood that – she just hated what she had to do next.

She needed to talk to Jason.

* * *

 **Angel Grove Youth Center**

 **Back Gymnasium**

 **Angel Grove, CA**

 **6:49 PM**

Kimberly stumbled on the balance beam, dropping unceremoniously onto the blue mat with a huff. It was the sixth time she attempted a front flip on the beam, and it was the sixth time she had failed.

Normally, she could execute this move in her sleep, but today – she couldn't focus to save her life.

She hadn't been able to ever since Jason walked into the youth center to teach his karate class two hours ago.

The pink ranger grabbed her water bottle off the ground, taking a sip as her eyes rested on her boyfriend.

His class was over now, and he and Zack were working out with the punching bag. Zack held the bag steady as Jason pummeled it, a thin layer of sweat covering his body. She could see the black ranger straining to keep from stumbling backwards from the force of Jason's punches.

It was clear that the red ranger was frustrated, and she felt the guilt creep in knowing she was the source.

In all honesty, she hadn't intended to pull away from Jason and the others. Above everything else, they were her friends – her teammates – and she enjoyed spending time with them.

The truth was she knew she couldn't immerse herself in what was going on between her and Tommy and still keep regular contact with her friends. The consequences of what they were doing were easier to ignore if the people who could remind her of how wrong she was weren't around.

And Jason... God, she couldn't even look him in the eye.

Jason looked at her as if she was his whole world, putting her on a pedestal above all others. She couldn't accept that type of role in someone's life, especially when she knew she was failing them so miserably.

The pink ranger took another sip from her water bottle, steeling herself with a confidence she didn't feel and heading over to Jason and Zack. Zack smiled when he saw her headed their way, and he motioned for Jason to turn around. The red ranger flinched when he saw her, and it broke Kimberly's heart knowing she pulled that reaction from him. He had always looked at her with such fondness and joy, not fear and frustration.

"Hey guys," she said, eyes on Jason. "Zack, would you mind if I borrowed Jase for a bit?"

The black ranger shook his head. "Not at all. Might do him some good to talk instead of punching something for a change."

Jason glared in Zack's direction as he walked off, shoulders sagging slightly as he turned to his girlfriend.

"Hey, Kim. Surprised to see you over here. What's up?"

She winced, taking the subtle dig in stride. "I'd like to talk, if you have the time. How much longer do you plan to be here?"

The red ranger sighed, looking down at his watch. "I'm actually done for the day. I was going to hit the shower first and then head home."

She smiled. "Same. Can we meet back here and walk out together?"

He hesitated before nodding, bending down to grab his duffel bag. "See you in a bit."

Kim grabbed her things and headed to the women's locker room to clean up. When she was done, she headed back out to the main area. Jason was there waiting for her dressed in a muscle shirt and dark jeans, hair damp.

He waved when he caught sight of her. "Ready?"

At her nod, the two walked out of the youth center, heading to Jason's silver Jeep Cherokee parked at the far end of the parking lot. He opened the door for her, allowing her to climb in before coming around to the other side and getting in next to her. Kimberly kicked off her sandals and stretched her toes. The air in the jeep was cool thanks to Jason leaving the windows cracked earlier.

The two rangers sat in tense silence.

"Zack told me what happened," she began. "You almost got yourself killed, Jason. And talking back to Zordon?"

He flushed. "I didn't mean to!" He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I've been…distracted…"

She bit her lip. "Because of me?"

Jason glanced in her direction, nodding after some time. He ran a hand through his hair.

"Kim… what's going on with us? Did I… Did I do something to upset you? Because whatever it is, I'm sorry."

She winced at the way his voice cracked.

He licked his lips. "Just tell me whatever I did, and I'll never do it again, I swear."

The pink ranger reached over to cup his jaw, guilt swirling in the pit of her stomach.

"Jason, you didn't do anything," she said softly, thumb running over his bottom lip.

His shoulders sagged in relief at her words. "Then what's the problem? You've been so distant lately. Whenever I try to spend time with you, you have something else you need to do and blow me off. I had to find out from Trini that you won at your gymnastics meet this week – I'm usually the first person you tell." He clenched his jaw. "I'm not used to there being this distance between us, Kim. You're my best friend."

Kim looked away from him, swallowing thickly.

"It's like you don't even want to be near me anymore." He eyed her warily. "Is – is that it? You don't want to – "

"No," she said forcefully, startling him. "I'm just going through some personal stuff – my parents, Lord Zedd, college applications – and I guess I haven't been handling it as well as I thought."

She felt like shit for lying to him, but really, what was one more lie at this point?

He looked at her with concern. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head. "I'll figure it out on my own. The important thing right now is that you know that I want to be with you."

"Yeah?" The smile on his face was blinding, and it made her heart clench.

"Yeah," she said softly, leaning forward to press her forehead against his. He sighed, and she could literally feel the tension surrounding them melt.

And she realized with a heavy heart that she meant those words. Kim and Jason had known each other since they were five-years-old, when he told her that he was okay with being her friend even though she had cooties. The love and friendship between them was over a decade strong, and it was hard to think of throwing that away. On top of that, he really was a spectacular boyfriend. He was kind, loving, patient, treated her with the utmost respect – and he loved her with every fiber of his being.

And she loved him and wanted to be with him, too – she just didn't want to end things with Tommy.

It was wrong to string Jason along while she messed around with Tommy – she _knew_ that. But she also knew that things with Tommy were probably never going to work out, and it felt nice to know she always had Jason to fall back on.

He was the reliable choice, the one she knew would be there to pick up the pieces when things with Tommy inevitably fell through. Her safety net.

Kimberly knew it was selfish, essentially having her cake and eating it, too, while he waited for her on the sidelines. Jason deserved better from her – as his girlfriend and his friend – but she didn't have the courage to break things off yet. The feelings she had for Jason were different than those she had for Tommy, but they were real, and she wasn't ready to let him go.

The pink ranger turned around in her seat, raising her legs so that they rest across his thighs. Jason slid his hands up and down her shins.

Kim threw him a wicked grin. "Now… you know you have to tell me what in the heck happened when you snapped at Zordon. Zack gave a few details, but this I just _have_ to hear from the source."

The red ranger groaned, head falling back against the seat, causing Kim to giggle.

"Come on, Kim, it was already embarrassing enough the first time. Don't make me relive it," he whined.

She snickered. "That bad?"

At Jason's glare, she laughed loudly. When he remained silent, she moved her foot, poking him in his side playfully. He groaned when she hit a particularly ticklish area, scooting away from her to the far end of the jeep.

Eventually, with enough prodding, the red ranger shared the embarrassing story, and much to his chagrin, Kimberly was cackling loudly at him.

"Shut up," he said pitifully.

Kim wiped at the tears on her face. "Oh, I'm sorry, baby." She crawled over to him and pinched his cheek. "But that was absolutely hilarious. You're lucky Zordon didn't banish you to the morphing grid."

Jason pushed her legs off of his lap with a laugh. "Ugh, don't remind me. I'm still waiting for Zordon to send something down and smite me."

She grinned, running her fingers through his thick hair. "Zordon understands the pressure you're under, Jase. He knows no matter what, your heart is always in the right place."

Her heart swelled at the smile on his face, glad to see that telltale twinkle back in his eye. A wave of nostalgia hit her suddenly, and she was overcome with how much she actually missed just being with him like this.

' _Has it really been that long since I spent any real time with him?'_ she thought guiltily.

Jason looked at her with an unreadable expression. He reached out suddenly, cupping her face with his right hand, thumb brushing her cheek. His thumb moved to her lips, brushing them tenderly. Brown eyes scanned her face uncertainly for several seconds before he leaned forward, lips pressing softly against hers.

She gasped softly at his kiss, hesitating briefly before returning it. The kiss wasn't altogether unwanted. It was a nice kiss, but it didn't make her heart pound and her head spin like it used to. Instead, a familiar warmth settled in her stomach, spreading out slowly until it extended to every part of her body.

It was nice. Sweet.

And she liked it.

His hands framed her face, lips and tongue working gently against hers to tell her everything he couldn't put into words. Kim sighed into his mouth, understanding exactly what he was trying to tell her and feeling overcome with shame.

Her loved her, and despite everything, she loved him, too.

Things would be simpler if he was a terrible person – mistreated her, disrespected their relationship, neglected her – done _anything_ to justify cheating on him with his worst enemy. Then the guilt and her attachment to him would be a distant memory.

But the only thing he was guilty of was being good to her. He was the one who fiercely protected her from Bulk and Skull at the playground when they were eight-years-old. He was the one who held her through countless nights of crying over her parents' failing marriage.

And she was the one cheating on him.

He pulled her into his lap, hands massaging her thighs, lips pressed against her cheek and neck as he whispered how much he missed her, missed being with her. Kimberly blinked back the tears stinging her eyes, resisting the urge to throw up.

He deserved so much better than her.

She grabbed his face, pressing her lips against his hard, sucking his tongue into her mouth in a desperate attempt to distract herself from her own thoughts.

Jason broke the kiss, tugging on her crop top to expose her right breast, sucking the pink nipple hungrily until it hardened. She jerked when his other hand slipped under her skirt, rubbing at the lips of her sex through her panties.

"Jason…" she whispered, voice somewhere between a warning and a request. He released her nipple from his mouth with a soft pop.

Fooling around in the back of his jeep was something the two of them used to do often – back when things were normal between them.

Before Tommy came into town and blew everything to shit.

And although what once was second nature to her felt somewhat foreign now, she couldn't ignore the arousal building from Jason's touch.

The red ranger watched her carefully, taking the way her hips rocked lightly against his hand and her soft moans as the green light to continue. He picked her up, turning her around so that her back was to his front. He reached under her skirt, tugging her panties to the side and pulling her flush against his chest. Jason massaged her folds gently, sliding between her lips to rub along the sides her clit with his ring and middle fingers. Kim groaned, hips grinding involuntarily to increase the friction between her thighs. Her left hand gripped the seat in front of her while her right wrapped around his wrist, torn between tugging his hand from between her thighs and holding him in place. The dull throbbing of her clit grew more intense with each stroke of his fingers.

She was repulsed by her actions, ashamed for being in this situation after sleeping with Tommy just this morning. But she couldn't deny that it felt _really_ good being with Jason.

"God, it's been too long since we've done this," he murmured against her throat, rubbing faster against the sensitive nub and pinching the sides firmly, a move he knew drove her insane. The pink ranger gasped, lifting up from his lap to pull away from the sudden pressure on her clit. He moved with her, finding the bundle of nerves again and continuing the sawing motion along its sides. He gripped her thigh to keep her spread open, alternating between pinching her clit and flicking it rapidly.

"Ah! I – _fuck_ ," she groaned, cumming against his fingers. The red ranger watched excitedly as she climaxed, aroused by each soft little whimper she emitted as she ground her hips against his hand.

Jason spread her lips with his left hand, using his right to slip first one then two fingers into her heat. He yanked her thigh up higher, keeping her legs spread wide as he fingered her quickly.

The red ranger sped up his strokes, fingering her hard as she shook against him, nails digging into his forearm. Kimberly trembled each time his thumb flicked against her clit, riding his fingers harder with each thrust. Her eyes fluttered closed when his fingers twisted inside of her.

And suddenly, she could see Tommy's face staring back at her with the most hurt expression she'd ever seen.

She gasped loudly, eyes opening wide in alarm, stomach in knots from the image. The red ranger kept kissing along her neck, whispering into her skin how good she felt on his fingers. Kim could feel his erection against her bottom, straining hard against his jeans.

"Oh god," she whispered, nausea settling in.

What the hell was she doing?

Rapid, firm flicks against her clit caused the pink ranger to jerk hard, white fire racing up her veins as her orgasm took her by surprise. Her hips bucked, canting as her bottom rose off of Jason's lap and into the air. The red ranger thrust his fingers vigorously into her, thumb grinding against her clit before pushing his fingers in deep and coming to a stop. She rocked against his digits wantonly, riding his fingers with a shuddering moan.

Jason panted heavily into her hair, fingers slipping from her with a wet pop. He groaned at the sticky wetness coating his fingers.

Kim crawled off of his lap into the seat beside him, legs pulled up to her chest. Her hands covered her face as shame, disgust, and guilt overwhelmed any feelings of pleasure now that the heat of the moment had passed.

God, she felt sick to her stomach.

For cheating on Tommy. For cheating on Jason. For cheating with Jason _while_ cheating on him with Tommy.

"Kim?"

The pink ranger blinked, startled to see Jason before her, a hopeful expression on his face. His jeans were down his legs, cock protruding inside his boxers. He was stroking himself roughly.

She bit back the bile rising in her throat. Everything was a fucking mess.

"Jason…I… no."

"What?" he asked distractedly, voice rough with need as he moved to crawl on top of her.

Kim shook her head, pushing him away from her. "I said no."

The red ranger backed off immediately, lustful haze disappearing. "Oh… I – okay, I – sorry. Sorry, I just… I guess I thought with…" He gestured between them.

The pink ranger looked away from him. She couldn't even blame him for being confused – hell, she was confused herself.

"This was a mistake," she whispered, arms wrapped tightly around her legs. "We shouldn't have – this shouldn't have happened."

The red ranger reared back as if she'd slapped him. He swallowed thickly, blinking rapidly against the sting of tears. He shuffled for his clothes, pulling his jeans up around his waist in a hurry.

"Jason – !" Kim yelled after him as he pushed open the door, scrambling to get away from her.

"Shit," she hissed, straightening her own clothes. She grabbed her sandals off the floor and climbed out of the jeep, slamming the door shut.

The red ranger was buttoning up his pants, skin flushed with anger. Kim walked around the car to stand before him.

"Jason," she began, hand resting on his chest. He jerked away from her touch irritably. "Just – let me explain!"

"You've done enough, don't you think?" he asked sharply, moving away from her.

"I'm sorry," she said sadly. Kim ran her fingers through her hair. "I know you want to go further but I don't – "

"It's not about the sex, Kim!" he yelled, startling her into silence.

He ran his fingers over his face in frustration. "Everything's so goddamn hot and cold with you lately. You told me a few minutes ago we're good and you want to be with me… and now you're saying what just happened was a _mistake_?" His voice cracked. "What the hell is going _on_ with you?"

She bit her lip, willing herself not to cry. "I told you nothing is wrong."

" _Everything is wrong!_ " he shouted, causing her to cringe. He calmed at her stricken expression. "We both know it's been wrong between us for a while now. You just don't want to tell me why."

The pink ranger sagged against the jeep, hands covering her face. Behind closed eyes, she could see Tommy's face again, face clouded with anger and unspeakable hurt as he looked at her. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up into Jason's concerned face.

"Kim, please," he begged softly. "Talk to me."

She wiped at her eyes, not even sure where to begin. "Jase – I – there's – "

The six-tone chime of their communicators interrupted them, and the pink ranger had never been more grateful for Zordon and Alpha than she was at that moment.

Jason rolled his eyes at the interruption, pressing the button on his communicator. "We read you, Zordon."

"PUTTIES ARE ATTACKING CIVILIANS AT THE PARK. THE OTHERS ARE ALREADY THERE, BUT GOLDAR HAS JOINED THE BATTLE, AND THEY NEED YOUR HELP."

"We're on it." He turned to her, clearly wanting to continue their discussion but knowing duty called.

"Let's do it." The two placed their arms behind their backs, feet spread apart. "It's morphin' time!"

* * *

 **Hart Residence**

 **Upstairs Bathroom**

 **Angel Grove, CA**

 **9:34 PM**

Kimberly shed her clothes, tossing them onto the floor in a small pile. She turned to the mirror over the bathroom sink, clearing the steam from it to see her reflection clearly.

She didn't know how to feel about the person staring back at her.

Kimberly pushed away from the sink and headed to the shower. She climbed in, stepping under the hot spray with a sigh.

The pink ranger ran her fingers through her hair a few times before trailing her hands down her body. She paused when she touched her sex, evidence of her afternoon with Jason on her fingertips. She quickly rinsed the wetness there away, not wanting to have any reminder of her mistake.

The pink ranger exhaled deeply, grabbing her washcloth and the bar of soap, lathering it heavily. She washed away the dirt and grime from the day, wincing when she hit a bruise on her side from the kick she received from Goldar. The bastard had literally knocked the wind out of her with that kick, leaving the pink ranger down for the count and seeing stars.

Kim slid the washcloth lower down her body, gasping when the cloth rubbed against her clit. It was still sensitive from earlier when...

She shook her head to clear it, tears stinging the corner of her eyes. She could still feel Jason's hands on her body, and no matter how hard she scrubbed, it wouldn't go away. The pink ranger's vision was blurred as she continued to scrub relentlessly, skin turning a nasty shade of red under the scalding spray.

She could feel his tongue sliding hotly against hers as they kissed in his backseat. Feel his hands sliding down to squeeze her hips…

Kim threw down the washcloth angrily, fingers pressed against her temples as if she could force the memory from her head. She took deep calming breaths, desperately fighting against the intense wave of nausea that rolled over her.

She could feel him pressed against her back, hand twisting her nipples as his fingers pumped into her hard and fast, relentless in their motion until she arched her back, cumming hard on his fingers.

Kimberly braced herself against the wall as she dry-heaved unexpectedly, abdomen contracting painfully. She heaved twice more, crumpling against the wall when she was done. The pink ranger closed her eyes as she slid down the shower wall, curling into herself once she was on the floor.

She cried silently as the water poured over her body, the temperature now lukewarm.

She never wanted this, but somehow, that's exactly where she ended up.

In a relationship with two different guys that she cared deeply for. Lying to everyone who gave a damn about her. Slowly hating the person she's become.

It hadn't even been this bad after her first time with Tommy. She had hated herself for it, but she hadn't felt so… dirty. So ashamed of herself.

Nothing like this.

Kim remained on the shower floor until her stomach settled. She climbed shakily to her feet, shutting off the water and exiting the shower. She dried off, dressing in her pajamas and leaving the bathroom for her room.

When Kim opened the door to her bedroom, she was startled to find Tommy standing there waiting for her. In one hand, he held a box of pizza that smelled amazing with plates, napkins, and cans of Pepsi and Diet Coke resting on top. The other hand was behind his back, hiding something from her view.

He looked anxious.

"Tommy?" she questioned hesitantly, a mixture of happiness and dread washing over her at the sight of him.

The green ranger nodded. "Right, so… I thought maybe…" He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I don't know, maybe we could hang out tonight?"

Kimberly had never seen him look so nervous before. It was endearing.

She walked over to him slowly. "And what would we do?"

"Eat pizza? Watch some TV or a movie? You can decide," he said in a rush.

She noticed that he didn't mention anything about sex, and she breathed a sigh of relief. After everything that happened with Jason, she didn't even want to think about having sex with anyone for a while. Kimberly could still feel his fingers on her – _in her_ … having Tommy try and do anything tonight would literally make her vomit.

The pink ranger took the box of pizza from him, opening it to see that he had gotten her favorite kind. Deep dish with sausage, pepperoni, and mushrooms.

"And what brought this on?" she asked curiously setting the food down on her nightstand, mouth watering at the smell.

"Well…" He gave a shy grin. "I-I missed you."

Her heart swelled with guilt and happiness at his words, and she found herself grinning right along with him.

"Oh!" Tommy bit his lip, the tips of his ears burning bright red. "I got you something while you were away." He moved his hand from behind his back and presented her with a stuffed animal green dragon.

She gasped, taking it from him with a squeal and holding it tight to her chest. "It's so cute!"

The green ranger smiled at her reaction. "I saw it at the mall and immediately thought of you. Not that you need any more stuffed animals, but this one seemed special…" he trailed off.

Kimberly knew he chose this one because it reminded him of himself, and it was his way of making sure she always had something around to remind her of him, too.

She looked up at him brightly. "I love it. Thank you."

Tommy gave a nonchalant shrug, though his ears were still a bit red. Kim sat the stuffed dragon on her bed before standing on the tips of her toes to kiss him softly on the lips. He sighed into her mouth, strong arms wrapping around her waist to hold her against him.

Lips slid against lips wetly as the kiss continued, and it was only when the loud rumble of Tommy's stomach occurred that the two broke apart. The green ranger's neck flushed scarlet in embarrassment.

Kim snickered, forehead pressed against his.

"Let's eat, yeah?"

He nodded, pressing another light kiss against her mouth. "I'm _starving_."

He peered down at her with a curious expression. "Are you all right?" His thumb stroked her cheek softly. "You look like you've been crying."

Her stomach tightened uncomfortably, and she gave a weak smile. She pushed thoughts of the red ranger to the recesses of her mind.

"I'm okay," she said softly, giving him a quick peck. "Come on, the food's getting cold."

"Okay."

* * *

 **Hart Residence**

 **Kimberly's Room**

 **Angel Grove, CA**

 **10:41 PM**

" _I'm so proud of you, sweetie. Three first place trophies – and the competition was so stiff!"_

 _Kimberly said nothing, eyes focused on the passing scenery._

" _How are you feeling?" her father asked._

" _Fine," she mumbled with disinterest._

 _Kim and her father were on their way back from a gymnastics competition in Pasadena. Kim's mother had originally planned to take her, but the arrival of an unexpected art buyer at her gallery required her to be in town for the weekend. With no other options at hand, Caroline called Kim's father, Trevor, to see if he'd be able to take her._

 _Kim had been less than thrilled at the change in plans and was more confused than ever after spending the weekend with her father. He wasn't often home even before the divorce due to his work, and now he was never around. And though part of her still couldn't stand to even look at him, the girl who loved her father was just happy to be around him again._

 _He still seemed like the same fun-loving, slightly embarrassing father she was used to – the one she desperately missed. But it was hard to reconcile that this man was the same one who singlehandedly tore their family apart._

 _The thirteen-year-old didn't know it was possible to love and hate someone with every fiber of her being until now, and she wasn't sure how to handle that._

" _So, where are you headed after this? San Diego, right?" he asked excitedly._

 _She nodded._

 _Her father laughed. "You kids get to go to way more exciting places these days than when I competed. I would've killed for the chance to compete in San Diego."_

 _The teen sighed, sparing her father a glance. "Yeah, well, things have changed, dad."_

 _Trevor chuckled, running a hand over his hair. "Yeah, they have."_

 _Kim flinched when her dad reached over to ruffle her hair. "I'm so proud of you, sweetheart. You don't know how much it means to me to see you compete and follow in my footsteps."_

 _She jerked away from him angrily. "I'm nothing like you," she hissed._

 _Her father reared back at her tone, hurt crossing his handsome features. An awkward silence filled the car for several seconds, and with a sigh, Trevor pulled the car over onto the shoulder of the highway. He rolled down the windows and shut the engine off._

" _You wanna tell me why you've had such an attitude this weekend?" he asked softly. "You've been short with me ever since we left Angel Grove."_

 _The future pink ranger kept her gaze fixed out the window, trying in vain to ignore the stinging sensation in her eyes._

 _Her father sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Kimberly, talk to – "_

 _She whipped around to face her father, face flushed with anger._

" _How could you cheat on mom?" she yelled at him. "How could you do that to our family?!"_

 _Trevor's eyes closed at the pain on his daughter's face, reaching out to her. "Kimberly…"_

 _She pushed him away from her. "Don't touch me!"_

 _Her father sat back in shock, eyes wide._

" _Mom gave you everything! EVERYTHING! And you threw it away like she was trash!" she yelled, tears streaming down her face. "And what about me and Kenny? Do we just not matter to you anymore?"_

" _Kim, you know that's not true," her father said fiercely. "You and Kenny mean_ everything _to me."_

" _Then why did you leave us?" she asked tearfully._

 _Trevor sat back in his seat, hands running over his face. "It's not like that, Kimberly," he said weakly._

" _Then explain it to me!"_

 _Trevor stared at her, unshed tears in his blue eyes. He sat forward, taking her face into his hands carefully._

" _This is so much more complicated than you can understand, sweetie," he said softly, running a hand over her hair warmly. "I love your mother. I love her so, so much that it hurts. But…" He licked his lips. "I wasn't happy."_

 _Kimberly sniffled. "But that's not true! I saw you! You were happy and –"_

" _I wasn't," he said firmly. "I haven't been happy for a long time. And instead of being honest with myself and your mother from the start, I did something that hurt her – hurt_ you _– that I can never, ever take back. I was wrong and selfish and now everyone has to suffer for my mistake."_

 _He wiped away the tears that fell from her eyes. "And I'm so, so sorry."_

 _Kimberly gnawed at her bottom lip. "Was it – was it us? Did Kenny and I make things bad for you and mom?" Her voice hitched. "Is that why you're getting a new family?"_

 _Her father licked his lips, pondering the best way to answer her. "Things in my life right now are…complicated. But the one thing that will always be true is that you and Kenny are my world. Our divorce has_ nothing _to do with you and your brother, you understand me? You two are the most important people in my life, and nothing will ever change that, okay?"_

 _The teen nodded, sniffling again. "I just want you to come back home."_

 _Trevor sighed, pulling her into him. Kim cried against his chest, clutching the thin material as her body shook with sobs._

 _She cried for her parents, her brother, and herself; but most of all, she cried because no matter how much she wanted it, things could never go back to the way they were._

"Oh my god… _Kim_!"

The pink ranger blinked rapidly, snapping from her reverie and coming back to her surroundings.

Tommy snickered at the photo of the smiling girl, pigtails and orange braces staring back at him as she stood posed in a blue and white polka dot leotard.

"Whatever," she mumbled, laughing along with him as she lay back against his chest, resting comfortably between his legs. "I was still cute."

"You certainly were," he teased. "How long were you stuck with those bad boys?"

Kim shuddered. "Three long years. God, it was brutal."

He peered down at her, grinning at the put out expression on her face. "And look at you now," he whispered, pressing a soft kiss against her forehead absentmindedly.

"And this one?" He pointed to a picture of Kimberly wearing a pilot's helmet, seated in what looked like the cockpit of an airplane. She wore a bright smile on her face and was giving the camera two thumbs up, two of her front teeth missing.

"I spent the day with my uncle Steve. He flies planes all across the world." She smiled wistfully. "That day we flew all around Angel Grove. It was so awesome."

"Did he let you fly the plane yourself?"

She snorted. "God, no. Pretty sure he wanted to live that day." The green ranger snickered. "But I guess things worked out in the end. I have the only zord that can fly, so I got to be a pilot anyway."

The two teens had spent the last hour lazing about in Kimberly's room, eating several slices of the pizza Tommy brought over as they looked through her photo album.

They had been eagerly making out on her bed, and in their haste to shove everything onto the floor, the book had fallen to the ground with a thud. Once Tommy caught sight of her scattered baby pictures, he quickly rolled off of her and grabbed the photo album, his face an expression of pure glee. A minor battle ensued, ending with him ultimately being the victor due to his larger stature. He had tugged her with him back onto the bed, requesting cheekily for her to walk him down memory lane with each turn of the page.

The green ranger moved to the next page, laughing at a young Kimberly covered in what looked like blue goop.

Tommy grinned. "What the hell happened here?"

The pink ranger groaned. "Ugh, I almost forgot about this. Mom thought she'd have to shave my head to get all that crap out." She sighed. "Billy just _had_ to show his newest invention at Show-and-Tell that day. The damn thing started smoking and being the nice person I am, I tried to help."

She pouted. "Load of good that did me."

The green ranger chuckled, thumb rubbing firm circles into her side. "I'm sorry, babe."

Kimberly flushed at the term of endearment, snuggling closer to him with a deep sigh. She held the green dragon he got her in her arms, fingers trailing along its tail absentmindedly.

And while Tommy was enjoying his time going through her photos, Kim was in her own personal hell.

Being with Tommy was always bittersweet. There were the good parts, like now, when he would hold her in his arms. When they could talk freely and laugh and act like normal teenagers. When the heat between them burned too hot and the only way to calm it was to give in to carnal urges.

And then there was the bad.

Cheating on Jason. Betraying her friends and lying to them. The constant fear that Zordon or Lord Zedd would find out what she and Tommy were up to.

The fear of being charged with treason by the Eltarian Council and stripped of her powers.

God, this whole situation had grown way out of hand. It was supposed to be a one-time thing, not a full-on relationship like it was now.

Tommy was more her boyfriend at this point than her _actual_ boyfriend.

The attraction between them was evident from day one, and it had only intensified with time as their emotional connection grew. In retrospect, it was silly of them to think that engaging in a sexual relationship wouldn't complicate things; but they went for it anyway, and now everything was too goddamn complicated.

Sex came with intimacy, and intimacy brought long-repressed feelings to the surface that refused to go away. Those feelings were the reason why no matter what lies they tried to tell themselves, they couldn't stay away from each other.

Tommy would never outright admit those feelings – not while he was Lord Zedd's green ranger. He was too scared to admit the truth – as if speaking the very words would damn him – but his actions never lied. He showed her how he felt all the time – in the way he held her, the way he touched her, the way he kissed her.

Kimberly, on the other hand, had long ago accepted her feelings for him – she just wasn't sure what to do with them.

She was falling in love with him, had been since the day they met. But falling in love with Tommy Oliver was a lot more complicated now with him being the green ranger. Her sense of loyalty and duty was in direct conflict with her heart, and she could feel it was all going to come to a head soon.

And then what would she do?

Her eyes drifted down to a photo of her family. Her mom and dad smiled widely for the camera. A four-year-old Kenny had his arms wrapped around their mother's leg, fear in his eyes, while her father held her in his arms. She was a little over a year in the photo.

"Is that your dad?" Tommy asked softly. She ran her fingers over the picture slowly.

"Yeah," she whispered. "This was after we went to visit my grandparents up in Seattle."

The anger and disappointment she usually felt when she saw her father was now faint, overshadowed by a morose sense of understanding.

It was hard to keep hating and judging someone for something that you yourself ended up doing.

Granted, her father was in his thirties when he cheated on her mother, not a teenager like she was. And his affair had gone on for well over a year, whereas she had only been with Tommy for a few weeks now.

But those were just details – the heart of the matter was the same.

Her father had fallen in love with someone else and handled it in the worst way possible, breaking up their family in the process.

' _And I'm no different,'_ she thought miserably, eyes welling up. _'Guess I really am following in your footsteps, dad.'_

Her relationships with her friends, Jason, Zordon… there was no way things would be the same once they found out what she's been doing.

"Hey," Tommy whispered in her ear, poking her sides gently. "I think that's enough time spend looking at old photos. You up for watching a movie?"

Tommy had noticed how quiet she became at the sight of the picture with her dad. He didn't know all the details, but he knew that Kim and her father had a tumultuous relationship since the divorce. He didn't want to make her upset by stirring up any bad memories.

Kim cleared her throat, pushing off the bed to stand. She wiped her eyes quickly. "Yeah, let me uh, let me grab something."

The green ranger grabbed the last slice of pizza, wolfing it down with a happy moan and wiping his hands with a napkin. He gulped down the last of his Pepsi.

Kim searched through the shelves for a movie to watch.

"Okay, I have… Pretty Woman, Pretty in Pink, Working Girl…" she rattled off.

"Do you have anything that won't make my balls shrivel up and disappear?" he asked mockingly.

She glared in his direction. "Would you prefer something with big explosions?"

"Yes, please," he said sweetly.

Kimberly rolled her eyes, scanning the shelf quickly. She plucked a tape from the shelf.

"How about Speed?"

Tommy considered this. It was a pretty good movie and had plenty of action. "All right."

The pink ranger inserted the tape into the VCR and turned on the TV. She crawled back onto the bed into Tommy's waiting arms, resting half on top of him, half on the bed. Her head was tucked underneath his chin, and her fingers stroked his chest idly. She shivered when his fingers combed through her hair to grip the back of her head, pulling her up to kiss him. Kimberly sighed, grabbing the stuffed green dragon once again and holding it tight against her.

Being here with him now, in his arms – _this_ felt right.

"Tommy?"

"Yeah?" he said huskily, eyes focused on the TV as the opening credits played.

"I missed you, too." Surprised brown eyes met hers and a crooked grin formed on his face. He pulled her tighter against him, arm sliding down to wrap around her shoulders. Kimberly pulled the comforter up and over them, snuggling deeper into his side once they were covered.

It felt good to be back home.

* * *

 _Reviews and feedback are appreciated. Hope you liked it! Expect another Kim-centric chapter to come in the near future._

 _Also, is anyone reading the MMPR and MMPR: Pink comic series that BOOM! Studios have out now? Man, they're so good! I just read the MMPR one that came out yesterday - that ending was **insane**! You should check it out if you haven't yet._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note:** Here is chapter 3!_

 _This one is focused on Jason and Kim during chapters 10-11 of_ Control. _This takes place after Jason finds out about Kim cheating on him, and brings us up to speed on where they stand by the end of_ Control. _The next thing I post will be chapters in_ Lost. _I was having trouble with some of the writing for that story because some threads were missing that gave me severe writer's block. This was a result of trying to fix that, and now I feel much better about continuing Lost. I needed to explore Jason and Kimberly's head-space first, and I think this really helped._

 _This chapter does contain explicit content of both the T/K and J/K variety. You have been warned._

 _Please forgive any spelling or grammar errors. Hope you like it!_

* * *

 **Scott Residence**

 **Jason's Room**

 **Angel Grove, CA**

 **Monday, 7:49 PM**

Jason kicked open the door to his bedroom, nearly tearing it off the hinges in his rage.

"Jason?" His mother called out in concern. "Everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, mom," he said through clenched teeth before shutting the door.

Ever since catching Kimberly and Tommy in the act two days ago, he'd been stewing. Kim was easy enough to avoid – she hadn't been in school today. And Tommy... Jason was able to keep his rage in check for the most part since he didn't share many classes with the green ranger, but it wasn't until this afternoon's football practice that he finally came face-to-face with him again. The green ranger hadn't said anything to him, but just seeing Tommy's face made Jason want to call on his power sword and run him through.

The red ranger shrugged off his backpack, tossing it across the room. Several other objects were tossed across his bedroom, haphazardly landing on the floor.

His mind raced a mile a minute, replaying every interaction he'd witnessed between Kim and Tommy in the last two months. Kim's nervousness whenever Tommy was around. The green ranger's cryptic innuendos about the pink ranger. Moments when both were missing at the same time, re-emerging separately later – Tommy with a smirk and extra swagger in his step, Kim slightly disheveled and flushed.

God, it was staring him in the fucking face all along.

Jason picked up a framed photo of him and Kimberly from his desk. The two were sitting on his front porch, fingers intertwined as she pressed a kiss to his cheek. The tips of his ears were bright red while he smiled brightly for the camera.

The picture was a favorite of his – taken only a week after Kimberly agreed to start dating back in sophomore year.

' _How fucking naïve was I?'_ he thought crossly.

All he could hear when he looked at her face – all he could see – was her pleasured moans as Tommy embedded himself inside of her over and over. Her crying out that bastard's name in ecstasy.

The red ranger blinked hard, anger filling him at the images playing in his mind. The frame of the photo cracked in his hand from his tightening grip. He reared back, chucking the picture clear across the room. It slammed against the wall, glass breaking into several pieces upon impact. He turned away, looking around for something else to throw.

A quick knock followed by the door opening caused him to turn around.

"I always loved this picture."

Jason glared at the pink ranger, her foot resting on top of the photo of them. Next to Tommy, she was the absolute _last_ person he wanted to see.

"What are you doing here, Kim?"

"Your mom let me in on her way out." She entered the bedroom, closing the door softly behind her. "I wanted to see you."

"Why? Was Tommy busy?" he asked nastily.

Kimberly clenched her jaw as she placed the picture back on his desk. "I deserve that."

"You deserve a _hell_ of a lot more than that," he snarled walking past her. "You've got a lot of nerve showing up here."

She sat down on his bed, wringing her fingers in her lap. "We need to talk about what happened."

He turned away from her, picking up the remaining items off of the floor. "There's nothing to talk about."

She sighed. "Jason…"

"We were together. You cheated on me with Tommy. I caught you two fucking at his house." He smiled mockingly. "Seems pretty damn cut and dry."

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You're _sorry_?" he asked in disbelief. "For what exactly? For cheating on me? Or for getting caught?" He peered at her. "If I hadn't caught you, you'd probably still be with him now, wouldn't you?"

"No," she said forcefully. "I told you, I went over there to end things."

He scoffed, turning back to picking up his things. "Whatever."

Having her there intensified the pain in his chest, her presence bringing back the memory of that horrible day.

 _Jason knocked on the door of the Oliver home again, arms crossed over his chest as he waited. He hadn't been to Tommy's house in a long time, not since he became the green ranger. It was weird being back on their front porch._

 _When it was clear no one was coming, he sighed, turning away and heading down the steps._

 _Zordon was gone, and he knew Tommy had something to do with it. Only someone with a power coin could come into the Command Center, and the green ranger was the only person outside of his team that could possibly get in._

' _Maybe he's at the park,' Jason thought absently. Tommy liked to practice his karate outside in the fresh air occasionally – it was worth a shot._

 _As he headed back to his house, Jason could hear music coming from nearby. He walked in its direction, quickly realizing that the music was coming from the Olivers' garage._

 _He rushed over, knocking on the garage door. The music was loud – most likely too loud for anyone to hear him knocking. Jason put his ear against the door, recognizing the voice of LL Cool J coming from the speakers._

 _Definitely Tommy._

 _Mixed in with the music he could hear movement and what sounded like voices. He made his way to the side door, trying the knob and finding it unlocked. Steeling himself for the green ranger's undoubtedly pissy reaction to his unannounced visit, Jason walked inside._

 _And stopped immediately at the sight before him._

 _He saw Tommy frantically fucking some girl on the back of his truck. The girl screamed his name loudly, and Tommy bit his lip, plowing into her hard before arching his back and climaxing._

 _Jason grimaced, not at all prepared for what he walked in on. This was now the second time he'd been unfortunate enough to catch the green ranger in the middle of having sex._

' _Lucky me.'_

 _He watched Tommy lean down and kiss the girl, pulling back after a few seconds to lift her up and turn her around._

 _And that was when Jason saw her face._

 _Kimberly._

 _His girlfriend._

 _Tommy was fucking his girlfriend._

 _He froze, staring in shock as he watched the green ranger climb up onto the truck on top of her. The two exchanged words before Tommy pushed into her again and started thrusting. Jason heard her cry out in ecstasy, legs wrapping around his waist and hands gripping the sides of the truck._

 _Rage filled the red ranger slowly as he approached them, a stray 2x4 he picked up from the ground now clutched tightly in his hands._

 _He was going to kill Tommy._

 _Their fucking became frenzied, rocking the truck hard on it wheels. Their cries grew louder and frantic as they approached their climax. The red ranger saw her thighs squeeze Tommy's hips tightly as she screamed his name, arching up beneath him. The green ranger told her to cum for him, and when she did, Jason could see Tommy's face contort in ecstasy, his body tensing up as he choked out her name._

 _Jason blinked rapidly, tears stinging his eyes as he watched Tommy bury himself in her again and again, moaning until he was done and stopping with a content sigh._

 _But what really sent Jason over the edge was the kiss afterwards._

 _It was sensual. Loving._

 _Reciprocated._

 _The heartbreaking realization caused the wood in his hand to snap in half, resulting in a loud cracking sound in the room._

 _And then all hell broke loose._

The red ranger pressed his hands to his temple, as if he could physically force the memory from his mind.

"Jason?"

"Two months," he spat out angrily. "Two goddamn months! This whole time you were with him." He paused. "That day in the car when we – " His face curled in disgust. "You were with him then, weren't you?"

She flinched but said nothing.

"Kim, do you even…?" He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "That piece of shit was looking me in my face, walking around knowing that I had no _fucking_ clue what was going on. Do you understand how that feels? He _humiliated_ me, and you _helped_ him."

The pink ranger looked away from him.

"God, _our_ _friends_ know, Kim. Soon enough the whole school will – " Jason blanched suddenly as a thought came to him. "Th-That was you we heard with him in the Youth Center last week, wasn't it?" he asked horrified. At her cautious nod, he swore loudly.

" _Good game, Jase! That last play was awesome – maybe we should share it with coach?"_

 _The red ranger nodded, smiling at TJ Johnson as he moved past him. Jason made his way over to his own locker, towel around his waist._

 _He and a few guys from the football team had spent the afternoon playing a round of flag football. The original plan had been to spend the day with Kimberly, but she had to bail at the last minute to help her mom prepare for an upcoming exhibit at the art gallery. He had quickly accepted TJ's offer to join them for flag football, needing to burn off the extra energy._

 _Jason dried off quickly, slipping on a pair of briefs. "You guys wanna grab something to eat? I think the grill is still open. Ernie might be able to cook us up some burgers if we get there in time."_

 _His suggestion was greeted with a chorus of "yeah" and "sounds good" from the other guys._

 _Jason turned when he heard someone running in the locker room, raising an eyebrow upon seeing a half-dressed Rocky DeSantos. The boy had a shit-eating grin on his face._

" _Guys, you gotta come here," he said excitedly. "But be quiet."_

 _Jason and the other players followed him curiously as he led them to the front of the locker room._

" _I went to take a piss in the bathroom." He flashed a naughty grin. "Guess what I found?"_

 _As they trailed behind him, they could hear what sounded like crying._

" _Is someone hurt?" Carlos Vallerte asked in concern. Rocky only snickered in response._

 _Rocky put his finger to his lips, shaking his head. When they got closer, they could hear much better what was going on. The crying actually turned out to be high-pitched moaning, interspersed with heavy grunts._

 _Someone was having sex in the bathroom._

 _At his teammates' surprised expressions, Rocky gestured wildly for them to stay quiet. He pointed at the floor of the stall. They could see a guy's legs, jeans and boxers covering his shoes. Shorter, feminine legs were in front of him, toes barely touching the ground and swaying gently in time with each grunt. A bag was on the floor near them, peeking out from beneath the stall door._

 _A black and red Bruce Lee gym bag with a rip in the side._

 _TJ's eyes widened almost comically. "It's Tommy!" he mouthed. Rocky nodded vigorously._

 _Jason scowled in disgust. Did that guy have no boundaries? Sex in the Youth Center? Seriously?_

 _He had half a mind to report him to Ernie._

" _Is it deep?" they heard Tommy murmur._

" _Fuck, it's really deep…" the girl whined. The red ranger's eyes narrowed. She sounded really familiar…_

" _Can you take a little more for me?" he asked. The stall was quiet until the girl suddenly gave a sharp cry of pleasure, feet no longer touching the ground. They heard Tommy chuckle._

" _Good girl."_

 _Before Jason could figure out who the girl was, loud slapping sounds emerged from the stall, the occupants moaning loudly._

" _Goddamn, Tommy," TJ said loudly before he slapped a hand over his mouth, eyes widening when he realized he'd spoken aloud. The couple in the bathroom stopped moving, leaving the bathroom in tense silence. There were hushed whispers and some shuffling for nearly a minute before the sound of them fucking started up again, causing some of the football players to howl._

 _Jason rolled his eyes, heading back to his locker, glad to see a few other guys doing the same. He had absolutely no desire to listen to his teammates cheer Tommy on while he banged some girl in the bathroom. The asshole was using some unfortunate girl to put on a show, and their dumbass teammates were just feeding into his already insufferable ego. The red ranger pulled on his jeans, buttoning them up before grabbing his socks and shoes. The noise in the bathroom was mercifully harder to hear at this distance, though he could still catch the girl's frantic cries and his teammates' loud jeering. The noise from the rambunctious teens escalated to full-on clapping and whistling when a high-pitched series of screams rang out, much to Jason's disgust._

" _Idiots," he muttered to himself._

 _The red ranger slipped on his tank top and jacket, grabbing his bag out the locker and closing it with a slam. He headed out to the front, glaring at the boys still crowded around the stall._

 _The girl's feet were wrapped around the back of Tommy's calves, toes curling every so often. The green ranger's stance had visibly widened, jeans rustling around his feet each time he grunted._

" _All right, guys, show's over," Jason said sternly, stepping in front of the stall._

" _Ungh… ungh… yeees…" the girl whined in the stall, moans rising in pitch._

" _Dude, she's gonna cum again," Douglas Johannson whispered excitedly, a senior linebacker on the team. Like many of his teammates, he was sporting a straining erection._

 _They could hear Tommy murmuring "oh fuck" between heavy pants, the slapping of skin against skin reaching a crescendo in the bathroom. The girl suddenly gave a shrill cry of pleasure, her feet curling and trembling for several seconds before finally going limp. A few of the boys whistled and hollered in response, only to stop immediately upon seeing the disapproving glare from Jason._

 _It was quiet again for a while, then they heard her gasp and saw her feet go higher up in the air as if she were being lifted. Tommy began rocking back and forth on his heels once again, the sound of his vigorous thrusting once again mingling with her breathless whimpering of his name._

" _Jesus…" Rocky whispered, clutching Carlos' forearm tightly. The dark-haired boy gulped nervously next to him, nodding in agreement._

" _Yo! Grab your stuff and let's head out," the red ranger ordered._

" _But – "_

" _Now!" Jason barked._

 _The other boys looked ready to argue but quieted at his glare, murmuring to themselves as they headed back to their lockers. Both occupants of the bathroom were moaning very loudly by now, and Jason fought the urge to tell them to shut the hell up. They knew better than to have sex in the Youth Center, especially with an audience of horny teenage boys._

 _The slapping sound in the bathroom came to an abrupt stop, and a series of loud, masculine grunts came from the stall, followed by a feminine whine._

" _I'll get them out of here so you two can leave," Jason said when it was clear the couple had finished._

 _There was only the sound of heavy panting for some time before he heard the green ranger clear his throat. "Thanks."_

 _Jason couldn't care less about Tommy being caught, but he didn't want to further embarrass the poor girl with him, even if she did have horrible taste in men. She didn't deserve to have his teammates leering at her when she left the stall._

 _When all of the other football players had finally left the locker room, Jason gave a brief knock on the bathroom door before heading out himself to the Juice Bar._

" _All clear."_

Thinking on the incident now, Jason was deeply embarrassed. Knowing his teammates had heard another guy – a fellow teammate – having sex with his girlfriend…

He sat down on the bed, head in his hands as he tried to wrap his mind around everything. "I asked you, Kim..." he said softly. "I _asked_ you what was going on. You lied to my face."

"I didn't want to hurt you," she said weakly.

"BUT YOU THOUGHT CHEATING ON ME WITH HIM WOULDN'T?" he shouted, face turning red.

Kim closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "I shouldn't have lied. I should have respected you and our relationship enough to tell the truth when you asked me that day in the car." Her voice was calm and contrite. "I wish that I had handled things differently, Jason. I'm sorry."

The red ranger looked away from her, feeling some of the anger he felt leave at her words. He knew Kim well enough to know that she meant what she said. She truly felt sorry for hurting him – and it was difficult to be so angry with her when she looked so miserable.

But her words did nothing to lessen the hurt, and with his anger dissipating, another emotion was creeping its way into his heart.

Guilt.

There was a part of the red ranger felt like this was karma biting him in the ass for when he left Tommy at the Lunar Palace. He had wrongfully taken advantage of Tommy's kidnapping, using it as an opportunity to keep the long-haired teen away from Kimberly. It was a rash decision he made at the last second, and the guilt had been eating away at him ever since. Jason had betrayed one of his best friends for the dumbest of reasons, and there was nothing he could do to fix it now. Over time, it was easier to rationalize it as something he did to protect Kimberly instead of what it really was – a moment of weakness where he allowed his jealousy and fear of losing her get the best of him.

When he eventually returned as the green ranger, Jason was confident that things between Kimberly and Tommy were done. Kim had displayed at most restrained civility with the green ranger as far as he knew, and Tommy showed no signs of the affection he once held for the pink ranger.

' _How fucking wrong that turned out to be,'_ Jason thought irritably.

Being on opposite sides changed the stakes, but it apparently had little impact on how the pink and green rangers felt about each other. Jason was sure on some level that Tommy's motivation for sleeping with Kim was to get back at him, but the red ranger couldn't shake the feeling that things between them were deeper than that. From the way they defended each other when Jason caught them to the way they kissed…

He knew It was more.

"Did you make love to him or was it just sex?" he asked suddenly.

Her eyes widened, startled by his question. "What?"

"Tommy," he clarified. "Did you make love to him or did you fuck him?"

She paled. "W-Why does it matter?"

"You _know_ why it matters," he said tightly, chest heavy with dread. "I know it's a difficult concept, but tell the truth, Kim."

She watched him nervously before answering. "Both."

Jason swore under his breath, moving to get off the bed. He wasn't surprised by her answer, but it hurt all the same. Kim reached for him, tugging him to sit back down.

"I'm sorry," she said holding his hands in hers. "I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry, Jason."

The red ranger refused to look at her, unshed tears in his eyes. He looked away, hands running over his face tiredly. "You need to leave, Kim."

"Jason, I didn't mean..." Kimberly wiped at the tears on her face, sitting up on the bed. "I just hoped if I came here in person, it might – "

"It didn't," he said cutting her off. He sighed when she pulled away from him and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Look, I don't know if I can forgive you. But being near me right now isn't – I just… I need time to work things out. _Alone_. Can you give me that? Please?"

Jason could tell it wasn't the answer she wanted to hear, but it was all he could give her at the moment. Working out his feelings for her and dealing with his anger was difficult when she was staring him in the face.

Kim gave him a watery smile and leaned over to kiss him on the lips. He turned his head at the last second, and her lips connected with his cheek softly.

"I'm sorry. I-I shouldn't have pushed. When you're ready, give me a call," she whispered before climbing off the bed. She brushed a hand across his cheek. "I love you."

Jason didn't respond, eyes following her form when she exited the bedroom, closing the door with a soft click. The red ranger groaned in frustration.

Jason climbed off the bed, kicking off his jeans and tossing them into the hamper. He opened his bedroom window, letting in the fresh air. He watched Kimberly get into her car, headlights shining brightly as she pulled out of the driveway and headed back to her house. He didn't move until her car disappeared from his view.

' _I love you, too'_ he thought sadly.

* * *

 **Angel Grove Youth Center**

 **Main Area**

 **Angel Grove, CA**

 **Tuesday, 4:17 PM**

Jason bowed towards his students, signaling the end of the day's lesson.

"Nice job today, man," Zack said, handing the red ranger a water bottle.

"Thanks," he murmured.

Zack waited until the kids were gone before speaking again. "How you holding up?"

The red ranger tensed, fingers tightening up into a fist. "I'm fine," he said sharply.

"You're a shit liar, Jase," Zack said bluntly.

The black ranger moved to the nearby punching bag, signaling for Jason to begin. The red ranger scowled, slamming his fists into the bag repeatedly, imagining it was Tommy's face. The green ranger was still around, but he had kept his distance. Jason wasn't sure if it was by choice or fate, but he was grateful either way.

He wasn't sure what he'd do if Tommy approached him.

"Bro…BRO!" Zack yelled, breaking the red ranger from his moody thoughts.

"Yeah?" he asked breathlessly.

"Wanna take it down a notch? You're about to break the bag open," he hissed in warning.

"Sorry, I… sorry." Jason clenched his fists. "I was just thinking about that bastard again. Set me off."

"Hey man, trust me. I understand," Zack said darkly.

The red ranger winced, remembering well the day Zack found out that his girlfriend had slept with Tommy. It was back when Zack and Angela had been casually dating, so it wasn't technically cheating, but it still hurt the black ranger deeply.

Jason grabbed his water bottle off the ground, taking a long swig of the drink.

"You need to stop obsessing about it. Gonna drive yourself nuts."

The red ranger scoffed. "Easier said than done."

"I know, but don't you see, man? This is _exactly_ what he wants. Exactly what Lord Zedd wants." Zack stood before his best friend. "Your anger is distracting you, and this whole situation has caused a rift in our team. As much as it hurts, you've got to find a way to get past it and focus on the task at hand."

"Don't you think I'm trying?" Jason asked angrily.

"Are you?" the black ranger pressed. "Have you even tried talking to Kim?"

Jason avoided his gaze. "I have."

Zack looked at him in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah. She uh… she came over last night."

"And?"

Jason recalled their time together, playing with the straw of his water bottle. "We talked a little. Didn't get very far beyond yelling, but..."

Zack squeezed his shoulder. "Hey, the fact that you even talked at all is good."

The red ranger clenched his jaw, grabbing his bag off the floor. "Yeah."

After last night, Jason made a concerted effort to keep his distance from the pink ranger, needing time to get his thoughts together. It helped, though he found it frustrating dealing with his own emotions – there was nothing to punch or kick. Just feel.

He hated it.

Zack bumped Jason's shoulder, backpack in his other hand as they headed out the front door of the Youth Center. "I get that it's not easy. And honestly, you're handling this a lot better than I would."

The two teens walked side-by-side, the evening air cool on their skin. They enjoyed a comfortable silence as they headed home, passing a few kids they knew from school along the way.

Jason frowned after some time, chest feeling tight. "How could she hurt me like that, Z?" he asked softly. "I loved her with everything I have, and she fucked me over in the worst way possible."

Zack looked over at his friend sadly. "I don't know, man."

"Did I treat her wrong? Did I give her a reason to cheat?" Tears stung his eyes. "She says she loves me… how can you just _hurt_ someone you love like that? How am I supposed to get over what she did?"

The black ranger remained silent, knowing his friend needed to vent.

"We were happy, right?" Jason asked uncertainly. "E-Everything was good between us?"

"Seemed that way to me," Zack offered.

Jason ran his fingers through his hair. "God, w _hat the hell happened_?"

That was really what the red ranger wanted to know. Things had been good between them – very good, in his opinion. The two of them were doing so well, and for her to just spit on everything they shared and turn her back on him like that? He _still_ couldn't wrap his head around it.

His Kimberly wouldn't have cheated – especially not with the enemy. His Kimberly was loyal and loving and would never have treated him the way she has. His Kimberly _loved_ him too much to hurt him that way.

It made him wonder… Had Tommy changed her to become this person? Or was he just seeing her for the first time?

"You really wanna know what went wrong?" Zack asked. When the red ranger nodded, he sighed. "Then you need to talk to Kim. Not yell. Not argue. Talk."

"I don't have anything to say to her," Jason snarled.

The black ranger stopped, moving in front of his friend and placing a hand on his chest. "Then let her do the talking. You just need to _listen_ to her, hear her side of things."

" _Her_ side?" Jason asked incredulously. "There is no side. _She cheated on me_!"

Zack put his hands up defensively. "I didn't say she wasn't in the wrong, Jase. That's obvious." He rested his hands on Jason's shoulders. "But the only way you can find out what went wrong – why she did what she did – is if you give her the chance to explain herself."

The red ranger rolled his eyes. "And then what? Everything goes back to normal?"

"Is that what you want?" Zack asked seriously.

Jason shrugged, only now realizing he didn't actually know the answer to that question. He was so caught up in how he felt right now that he didn't spend too much time thinking on what he wanted moving forward. Did he want to be back together with Kimberly? Did he never want to talk to her again? Both options were equally unappealing to the red ranger.

"I don't know what's going to happen anymore than you do, Jase," Zack said softly. "You might be able to be friends again. You might not. But no matter what, you're never going to get any answers to your questions if you don't man up and talk to her."

The black ranger stepped back, watching his friend mull over his words. Seeing Jason's somber expression, Zack attempted to lighten the mood. He slung an arm around Jason's neck, startling the younger teen.

"Now, how about we get to my house? I can hear the sweet, sweet sounds of my Sega Genesis just calling our names."

The red ranger chuckled weakly. "Yeah, okay."

"Hey!" Zack slapped a hand against Jason's chest. "Don't be so bummed, man. How about this? I'll even go easy on ya and only beat you five times today. No fun kicking your ass when you're already so down."

A wry smile crossed Jason's face. "Kicking _my_ ass?"

At Zack's raised eyebrow, the red ranger laughed genuinely for the first time since this whole mess began.

"Dude, you're _on_."

* * *

 **Scott Residence**

 **Living Room**

 **Angel Grove, CA**

 **7:11 PM**

Jason and Kimberly sat awkwardly next to each other in his living room, the TV playing in the background. Jason's mom was having dinner with her brother and his family on the other side of town, and his father was on patrol for the evening.

Jason had called Kim shortly after getting back from Zack's, telling her he was ready to talk. She came over an hour later, flashing him a soft smile when he greeted her at the door.

The tension between them was palpable, and Kim fidgeted nervously at his side as she waited for him to start talking.

"Zack reminded me that I need to try and work things out with you. For the good of the team." He took a calming breath. "In order to do that, I need you to tell me everything that happened with you and Tommy."

Kim looked at him with trepidation. "Everything?" she asked weakly.

He nodded, still uncertain if he wanted to go through with this now that she was in front of him.

"We need to be completely honest if we're going to try and move forward. Start from the beginning."

And so, she told him everything that happened between her and the green ranger, withholding some of the more explicit details to spare his feelings but remaining descriptive enough to keep things truthful. Jason listened intently, wincing visibly at certain times and frequently getting up to pace, fists clenched at his sides. She patiently answered his questions, hesitating only when he asked her to go into more detail at certain points than she would have preferred.

"…and then I figured out that he'd broken into the Command Center. I went to confront him about it at his house." She paused, voice going soft. "You know what happens from there."

Jason sat beside her, hands covering his face as he processed everything she told him. His face was streaked with tears.

Hearing her talk about her time with Tommy was worse than he imagined it to be. Thankfully, she didn't go into graphic detail about them having sex – he wouldn't have been able to handle that. But worse than that, he could literally hear the truth in her voice. Despite being evil, Kimberly had very real feelings for Tommy – deeper than any feelings she ever had for Jason.

"You love him," he whispered, wiping at his face. When she opened her mouth to protest, he glared at her. "Don't deny it, Kim. Please. _Don't_ lie to me about that."

She frowned, eyes pleading. "I do love him, but I also love _you_."

"And I believe you." Jason sniffled softly. "You just love him more."

"Jason…" Kimberly's heart clenched uncomfortably. "That's – That's not true."

"Isn't it?" he challenged, eyes burning with anger. "You cheated on me with him – _repeatedly_. And not just physically, Kim. Emotionally." His fists clenched. "What the hell am I supposed to think?"

"I don't love him more than you, Jason," she said heatedly." It's just… different," she finished lamely.

"Tommy was…he had…" She searched for the words, eyes stinging with tears when none came to her.

"He's the enemy, Kim. My enemy. _Our_ enemy," he emphasized heavily, climbing to his feet. "If it was a one-time thing, I could understand, but it wasn't. You had a _relationship_ with him. A full-blown relationship that went well beyond sex. You had intimacy."

He paced the room. "You shared things with him you never shared with me, with _anyone_. You made love to him, Kim." He looked away hurt. "You let him… _do_ things to you – things you told me you'd never do."

"I'm sorry," she whispered fiercely, tears running down her face. "God, Jason, I'm so sorry. I swear to you it wasn't like that."

" _Stop saying that_!" he yelled. "Stop saying you're sorry. You're not!"

She opened her mouth to argue back but stopped when she saw it wouldn't do any good.

"I don't understand, Kim." Jason wiped at his eyes. "I just… I made you happy, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did," she said softly. "You _do_."

"What went wrong?" he asked, voice suddenly very small. "Why wasn't I enough for you?"

Her heart broke at his words. "Nothing went wrong, and it wasn't you," she said honestly. "I just... started having feelings for someone else. And instead of accepting that things were changing, I tried too hard to keep them the same." She twisted her promise ring around her finger. "Tommy… I have – _had_ feelings for him. Strong feelings that I should have acknowledged. I chose to bury them, pretend they could be ignored…and it blew up in my face."

Hesitantly, she reached out and grabbed his hands. "I never should have cheated on you. I never should have lied to you that day you asked me if I had feelings for Tommy." She squeezed his hands. "I never meant to hurt you."

"But you did. Why?"

She bit her lip, opting for honesty – she owed him that much. "Because I wanted to be with him but was too scared to let you go."

' _And you cared more about being with him than hurting me,'_ the red ranger thought bitterly.

A long silence lingered between them as he took in what she said. Jason glanced at her with red eyes. "Thank you," he whispered. "For telling the truth."

She nodded. He sank down to the couch, shoulders sagged in defeat.

She cupped his face, forehead pressed against his. "Jason, you mean so much to me. So, so much. And I love you – please believe that. I made a mistake. A _huge_ mistake, and I wish to God I could take it back."

' _But you can't,'_ he thought sadly, upset as he realized that now that he knew the whole story, he would never be able to get past what she'd done. No matter how bad she felt, it didn't change that things between them were well and truly over. He loved her, and she loved him, but he wasn't about to play second best, especially to Tommy. He wanted to be more than a consolation prize.

He deserved better than that.

The red ranger's jaw clenched tightly as her fingers smoothed down his features. She could see the fight playing out on his face – the part of him that desperately wanted to believe her and the part that was hurt and didn't believe a damn thing coming out of her mouth. His pain was winning, and she could see him pulling away from her.

Overwhelmed by the thought of losing him, she climbed onto his lap, pressing soft kisses along his throat. The pink ranger kissed him hard, sucking his tongue erotically until he began to kiss her back. He broke the kiss, knowing exactly what she was trying to do. She was trying to use sex to salvage things, but there was nothing to save.

They were over.

"Stop," he said halfheartedly, gasping when she captured his lips with hers again.

Jason sighed into her mouth, groaning as he pulled her closer to him, tongue dueling with hers. Kim ground down on him hard, able to feel his cock rise in his sweatpants. Jason gripped her hips, thrusting against her to match the roll of her hips.

She shivered when he tugged her panties to the side, fingers slipping between her folds. His gaze shifted between her sex and her eyes. He hissed in pleasure when she nipped his collarbone, teeth drawing goosebumps along his skin. He was jealous, hurt, and horny, a toxic combination for their current situation – it made him feel reckless.

He'd give in – one last time.

Jason moved her off his lap to the spot beside him on the couch. He shoved his sweatpants down his legs, stroking his length roughly to full hardness before rolling on a condom. He pulled Kimberly towards him, hiking her dress up to her navel and spreading her thighs. Thick fingers tugged and pulled at her clit until she was squirming against the couch. He pushed into her with a groan, working his cock into her snug depths.

He wished it didn't feel so good.

Jason fucked her hard, harder than he'd ever dared to before learning the truth about Tommy. He was hurting, and his aggression was coming out in the form of sexual frustration.

He tried to focus on her moans and pleas for him not to stop. The way she clenched around his length and writhed beneath him as he rubbed her clit nonstop. How tight and hot she felt around him, bathing his cock in her essence. The way her breasts shook from the impact of his forceful thrusts.

He bent down, pushing her dress up higher and capturing a bouncing nipple between his teeth. Jason grunted when she tugged on his hair and arched into his mouth. He closed his eyes, trying to lose himself in what was most likely the last time they'd be together, but he just couldn't concentrate.

He could see vivid images of Tommy and Kim in her bedroom, her bent over as he slams his hips against hers. He could hear her desperate cries as she twists beneath the green ranger, his hands on her hips as he surges into her heat again and again. He could see the smug smirk on Tommy's face when she screams his name in ecstasy, quivering when he makes her cum. He could see the green ranger's smirk disappearing as his thrusts become frenzied, back arching as he cums deep and hard into her, a mix of pleasure and triumph on the green ranger's face.

Jason snarled, pulling out of her abruptly. He grabbed her hips, rolling her onto her stomach so that he didn't have to see her face and sliding back into her, fingers toying roughly with her clit. Her cries intensified in this position, evolving from wanton moans to high-pitched whines.

He pressed a hand to her back, pushing her down against the cushions. Jason bit his lip as he drilled into her, trying to lose himself in the heat of the moment.

But once again, all he could think about was her and Tommy.

Was she secretly comparing him to the green ranger? Was Tommy a better lover than him? Was she pretending he was Tommy now just to spare his feelings?

A shrill cry broke Jason from his morbid thoughts. He moaned when he realized Kimberly had reached her orgasm, the tight heat around his cock too much for him to take.

The coiling sensation in his belly snapped, and he cried out in ecstasy as his hips snapped hard against her ass. The red ranger bit his lip and buried his face into her neck, whimpering loudly in her ear as his cock swelled.

" _I'm cumming!_ " he moaned, bottoming out inside of her. " _Ohgod_ …"

Jason trembled, hips stuttering as he released inside the condom with a deep, satisfied moan.

" _Oh shit_ ," he breathed, eyes closed. He thrust sporadically, burying himself to the hilt so that he was buried as deep as possible inside of her pussy. " _Fuck_! _HNNG_!"

Jason panted heavily, grinding into her tight heat as he felt the last waves of his orgasm roll through him. He gently thrusted until his cock finished twitching, resting on top of her with a sigh. Jason pulled out once he was soft again and grabbed some tissue off the coffee table to clean himself up.

When he disposed of the condom, he tucked himself back into his boxers and pulled his sweatpants up. Kimberly got up and headed for the bathroom, needing to freshen up.

Even though the two of them had just finished having sex, Jason had never felt farther away from her than he did now, and it reinforced his decision to end things between them. When Kimberly returned, she looked uncomfortable and regretful, and he couldn't help but feel the same.

The movies always made break-up sex seem so passionate and awesome – no one ever talked about the part after when everyone wishes it hadn't happened.

Several minutes of tense silence passed before Jason turned his eyes on the unnaturally quiet pink ranger beside him.

"So… what now?" Kim asked softly, legs pulled up so that her chin rested on her knees.

"I don't know," he said. "But the arguing and the tears… I can't anymore."

She nodded in understanding.

"I have to lead the team against Zedd's upcoming attack. And I can't focus if _this,_ " he gestured between them, "is going on at the same time. It's going to get everyone killed."

"So, what? We pretend like we didn't just have a horrible breakup?" she asked in disbelief. "We have to work together, Jason. That won't be easy considering that you hate me."

"I don't hate you," he said quickly. She blinked in surprise. "I hate what you did. I hate that you hurt me." His gaze darkened. "I hate _Tommy_. But I don't hate you, Kim." The red ranger frowned. "Despite everything, I still love you."

She gave a strained smile, surprised to find herself upset that he didn't hate her when he had every right to. Jason smiled back, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I don't have any reservations with serving on the same team as you, Kim. You've never let me down as a teammate."

She flinched, hearing the unspoken dig. _'You've only disappointed me as a girlfriend and a friend'._

A tense silence fell over the two again.

"Do you think you'll ever be able to forgive me?" she whispered.

He bit his lip – that was the big question, wasn't it?

The red ranger picked at the cloth of his sweatpants. "I can't imagine not having you in my life… I'm just not sure where you belong anymore." He chanced a glance in her direction but found her expression was unreadable. "What you did with Tommy… it's unforgivable, Kim. I need time to come to terms with what happened before I can even think about friendship. All I can give you now is my word that I'll have your back on the battlefield. Beyond that…"

The pink ranger took a shaky breath, heart clenching tightly.

Jason winced at the sight of her unshed tears. "Kim…"

"I-I have to go," she said suddenly, scrambling to grab her shoes and purse off the floor. Kim avoided his gaze, mumbling a rushed goodbye as she left his house.

"Kim, don't – ." The door slammed before he could finish his sentence. The urge to follow her and offer comfort was strong, but he refrained from doing so, not wanting to give mixed signals. He grabbed the remote off the coffee table instead, throwing it across the room in frustration.

"Fuck!"

Kimberly ran for her car, fumbling with the keys for a few seconds before getting the door open. She tried to ignore the pang of hurt when she realized he hadn't chased after her.

Kim climbed into her car, making the short drive back to her house and putting the vehicle in park in the driveway. She sat in silence for nearly a minute before screaming in frustration. She yelled and kicked, slamming her hands against the steering wheel in anger as tears ran down her face.

God, her life was a fucking mess.

Things with Tommy had imploded, just as she knew they would. And Jason… God, things with Jason were horrible. She wanted to make it up to him – work things out, but it was obvious that he couldn't get past her betrayal.

The pink ranger wiped at her eyes. She wasn't really surprised at Jason's decision to end things. She couldn't expect him to forgive her for something that she's not even sure she would be able to forgive if the situation were reversed.

That didn't make it any easier to accept that things between them were over, though.

' _It's what I deserve,'_ Kim thought miserably.

Jason had been nothing short of a perfect boyfriend to her, and she threw that all away by falling for someone who didn't think twice about betraying her trust.

Karma really is a bitch.

The pink ranger sniffled, wiping her face again. She stared sadly at the promise ring Jason gave her on her sixteenth birthday, the silver shining in the moonlight.

Knowing that their relationship – their friendship – that had once been built on love and mutual respect had quickly descended into this sad mess broke Kimberly's heart. Jason meant a great deal to her – he had been a part of her life for so long – how was she supposed to just let him go?

' _You don't. Prove to him that you can be better. Start making some good choices for once, Hart.'_

Wiping her face one final time, Kimberly shut off the engine and headed inside the house.

"Hey sweetie," Caroline Hart peeked her head out of the kitchen.

The pink ranger gave a weak smile. "Hi, mom."

Caroline narrowed her eyes as she approached her daughter. "Kimberly… have you been crying? Baby, what's wrong?"

Her mother's concern made the teen nearly burst into tears. Kimberly's lower lip quivered. "Jason broke up with me," she said, voice cracking.

Her mother's eyes softened, and she immediately rushed over to embrace the pink ranger. "Oh, sweetie…"

Kimberly clutched her mother's shirt as she sobbed into her shoulder. Caroline walked them over to the sofa, sitting down gently as her daughter continued to cry. She rocked Kimberly from side to side, murmuring comforting words softly into her hair. The teen eventually calmed down, soothed by her mother's fingers in her hair.

When Kim's crying tapered off into soft sniffles, Caroline pulled back. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

The pink ranger winced internally. There was no way in hell she was explaining to her mom that the reason she and Jason ended was due to her cheating on him. She wouldn't be able to take it if her mom knew she was just as bad as her father.

"Not tonight, mom," Kimberly whispered, burrowing further into her mother's embrace.

Caroline pressed another kiss into her daughter's hair. "How are you holding up?"

The pink ranger sniffled. "He's not sure we can even be friends anymore," she cried. "Mom, how am I supposed to deal with that? We've known each other since we were kids! I can't just lose one of my best friends and act like it's nothing!"

Ms. Hart stroked her daughter's locks as she peered down at her, wisely keeping quiet as Kimberly continued to rant. She listened intently as her daughter bemoaned the loss of her friendship with Jason, nodding and agreeing where appropriate. As Kim continued talking, however, Caroline couldn't help but notice there was one aspect of their breakup her daughter had barely mentioned.

"Is that all?" she asked softly when Kimberly finally calmed down. The pink ranger tilted her head back to look up at her mother incredulously.

"Mom, it's not a small thing," she said heatedly. "You know how important Jason is to me."

Caroline squeezed her daughter gently. "I know, sweetie. I'm not trying to belittle your feelings." Kimberly relaxed in her mother's hold. "It's just… you've talked nonstop about losing Jason as a friend." She paused, considering her next words carefully. "Aren't you upset that he's no longer your _boyfriend_?"

Kimberly froze at her mother's question, not realizing until now that her mother was absolutely correct. She hadn't mentioned a damn thing about losing Jason as a boyfriend.

Caroline could sense the shift in her daughter's thoughts, confusion and surprise now playing across her features instead of sadness and anger. The pink ranger was silent, deep in thought as she pondered her mother's words. Gently, Caroline extracted herself from her daughter's hold.

"Hey, how about this? I'll cook you up your favorite dish for dinner. I was going to make it Friday, but I think this is cause to change those plans. And then afterwards, let's curl up on the sofa, get some Ben & Jerry's, and watch some movies, okay?"

The pink ranger nodded absently, eyes now focused on the promise ring on her finger. Kim barely noticed when her mother got up from the sofa and headed into the kitchen to start up dinner.

' _Aren't you upset that he's no longer your boyfriend?'_

As Kim continued to gaze at her promise ring, it was with startling clarity that she realized… she wasn't.

At least, not as much as she _should_ be.

It did hurt that she lost her boyfriend, but it paled in comparison to the loss of her friend. She didn't feel the same panic, the same overwhelming sense of loss about never dating Jason again as she did about the end of their friendship.

What the hell did that even mean?

The pink ranger twisted the silver ring around her finger absently. Why wasn't she more upset? She loved him.

' _Of course, you love him. But if you're more upset about losing him as a friend than the fact your relationship just imploded, maybe he was right. Maybe you don't love him as much as you think you do.'_

"I _do_ love him," she whispered to herself fiercely in denial.

' _Be honest, Kimberly. You stopped being in love with Jason the moment Tommy came into the picture,'_ the voice in her head said. _'You still love Jason – you always will – but not the way you used to.'_

Kimberly bit her lip uncertainly. It _would_ explain why his touch didn't send her heart racing anymore, why his kisses were just pleasant and no longer soul-stirring, why sex with him was good but not quite fulfilling.

Not like it was with Tommy.

"Oh _God_ ," she said softly, eyes widening. Kim pressed her fingers against her temples. It couldn't… She didn't… How?

Did she really spend so much time trying to deny her growing feelings for Tommy that she hadn't even realized that her feelings for Jason had changed, too? Had she had been falling out of love with Jason this whole time and only realized it now that they were over?

' _You said it yourself. Your feelings for Tommy are just as strong as those for Jason… just different, right? And you certainly don't love Tommy like a friend.'_

Kimberly frowned, playing with the promise ring on her finger once again. After some time, she pulled it off, examining the jewelry in the palm of her hand. She expected taking the ring off to fill her with sadness and longing, and it did. But those feelings were overshadowed by an even stronger, surprising emotion.

Relief.

"Kimberly?"

Startled, the pink ranger turned her attention to her mother. Caroline stood in the doorway of the kitchen.

"I said the food will be ready in about five minutes. Go wash up and then we can eat."

The pink ranger nodded, now staring at the ring in her hand a different light. She set it down on the coffee table gingerly before turning to give her mom a weak smile.

"Can't wait."

* * *

 **Angel Grove Pediatrics Clinic**

 **Dr. Jones' Office**

 **Angel Grove, CA**

 **Friday, 2:03 PM**

"The tests were correct, Kimberly. You are indeed pregnant."

The seventeen-year-old felt lightheaded.

"P-Pregnant?" she stuttered.

 _Kim had been feeling a little strange over the last few days. Nothing too out of the ordinary, just more tired than usual and feeling the strong urge to hurl every now and then. She chalked it up to stress from Zedd and the situation with Tommy and Jason. It was only when she returned from Jason's Tuesday night that she began to grow concerned. Her mom had made her favorite meal – shrimp scampi – to help get her mind off of the breakup. Kim was alarmed to discover she could hardly stomach the smell of it. She had run full speed for the bathroom when her mother set her plate before her, barely making it in time before emptying the contents of her stomach._

 _As she sat hugging the toilet, the pink ranger ran through a mental list of what could possibly be wrong. She didn't have the flu, and it didn't feel like she had a stomach virus or food poisoning. Splashing her face with cold water, Kim searched the linen closet for a towel. The teen's eyes had widened when she gazed upon the nearly full box of tampons on the top shelf, realizing suddenly that she hadn't actually used any in quite some time._

 _Gnawing at her bottom lip, Kimberly walked briskly to her room, checking the calendar for when her next cycle should start. Counting the days, her heart sped up when she saw that her cycle was supposed to start last week._

 _She was late._

 _Kimberly fought against the instant urge to panic, instead rushing out the house and to the nearest pharmacy to purchase every pregnancy test she could find. She raced back up to the bathroom when she got home, grabbing the cooking timer from the kitchen counter on her way up._

 _As she waited for the results of her tests, the pink ranger's mind flashed back to the many times she'd slept with Tommy over the last few weeks._

' _We never used protection,' she thought anxiously._

 _The ding of the timer was loud in the small bathroom. Kimberly could feel her stomach twist in knots as she looked at the different tests._

 _Each one was positive._

 _Alarmed, the pink ranger asked her mother to setup an appointment with her doctor the next day. Dr. Jones had been shocked by the girl's request for a pregnancy test but complied, assuring Kimberly that her mother would not be told._

Today's follow-up appointment was to discuss the results of the pregnancy test conducted on Wednesday.

Dr. Jones smiled gently. "When do you remember your symptoms starting? That will help us narrow down how far along you are until we can do more tests next week."

"Probably…" Kimberly bit her lip. "Oh God. About four weeks ago."

Jesus Christ. Had she really been pregnant for a month without knowing?

"I don't understand," the teen said softly. "Why didn't I feel anything? Shouldn't I have been going through morning sickness if I'm pregnant?"

Dr. Jones shook her head. "Not necessarily. Morning sickness doesn't always happen for everyone, and it's not the same for everyone who has it. Consider yourself lucky."

' _Lucky,'_ Kim scoffed mentally. _'I'm fucking pregnant.'_

"Have you experienced any weird cravings these last few weeks? That's a common side effect. It's not always strange combinations like pickles with peanut butter. Sometimes it's just a craving for specific foods."

Kim racked her brain to see if she'd eaten anything weird these last few weeks. She had been eating an unusual number of pickles lately, to the point that even her mother had commented on it. And there was her sudden need to eat jalapenos with almost every meal. Kim had always like spicy foods, but eating jalapenos raw was a new thing she had picked up only in the last few weeks.

"Shit," the pink ranger groaned.

"…need to setup some follow-up appointments with an obstetrician to get more details on your pregnancy. You'll need to have a…"

Kim buried her face in her hands, trying in vain to calm her breathing. She was on the verge of a panic attack. Her doctor stopped talking at the sound of her shaky breaths, and the older woman kneeled before her.

"Hey…hey, look at me," the doctor said soothingly. "It's going to be okay, Kimberly."

"No, it's not!" she yelled, eyes wet with tears. "I'm pregnant. I'm _pregnant_ with _Tommy's_ baby. What the hell am I going to do?"

The older woman rubbed circles into Kim's back gently, not really sure who this Tommy person was but gathering it was the father of the baby. "Kimberly, take a deep breath. Breathe with me. In and out."

Kimberly sniffled, following Dr. Jones' lead and matching her even breaths. She could feel herself becoming less anxious.

"Good," the woman said with a soft smile. "Now, one step at a time." She hesitated. "You're pregnant. You do have options on how you can handle this, Kimberly."

The pink ranger wiped at her eyes. "I'm too young to be a mom." She toyed with her fingers. "But I don't know if I could go through with…" She couldn't even say the words.

She was having a baby. _She was having a baby._ And God, her ranger duties. What would this mean for the pink ranger?

Dr. Jones stood up, peering down at the teen over her frames. "Might I offer a suggestion?"

At the teen's nod, she continued. "Perhaps it would be best to spend the next few days reflecting on your options. This news is lifechanging – I think it would be wise to _really_ consider what you want to do. The other details will come later." She pushed her glasses up. "It would be best to discuss this with your mother. She might be able to help you decide."

Kim groaned. Her mother was out in the lobby, waiting on her daughter to finish her check-up. She had no idea what Kimberly and her doctor were really discussing.

The pink ranger ran her fingers through her hair. "What the hell am I going to do?"

* * *

 **Hart Residence**

 **Kimberly's Room**

 **Angel Grove, CA**

 **Saturday, 6:46 PM**

Kimberly stood in front of her mirror in a sports bra and a pair of sweatpants. She smoothed her fingers over the flat plane of her stomach, envisioning the way her tummy would swell and grow in the coming weeks.

It had only taken her a day to decide she was going to keep the baby. The idea of being a mother scared the shit out of her, but it was a challenge she was surprised to realize she welcomed. She'd always wanted kids, albeit when she was much older and when things weren't so complicated.

The fact that it was Tommy's was going to cause a world of problems when the Eltarian Council found out, and she didn't even want to think about Lord Zedd's reaction.

"Not to mention I still gotta find a way to tell your daddy about you," she murmured to the baby growing inside of her.

She knew Tommy was going to lose his shit. She supposed she could not tell him about the baby, but that never worked out in the soap operas her mom watched, did it? Tommy wasn't stupid – he could do the math and figure out the baby was his. It would be better if he knew now, so she could lay down the ground rules on his involvement in their baby's life… and hers.

' _Might even knock some sense into him knowing he's going to be a father,'_ she thought idly.

And Jason… The pink ranger could envision the hurt and disappointment on his face when he finds out about her pregnancy.

Kimberly frowned at the thought of her now ex-boyfriend. Things would actually be _a lot_ simpler if the baby were his instead of Tommy's. Even if they were estranged, she knew she could at least depend on him for support with the baby. Not to mention, the threat of Lord Zedd would be less an issue, and the fear of being charged with treason would no longer matter.

A knock at the door broke her concentration. "Come in," she yelled, grabbing the various pamphlets she collected about expecting mothers off of her dresser and shoving them into her bottom drawer.

She froze when she saw Trini and Billy walk in, their expressions pensive.

"Hey," she said softly.

Kim pulled out a tank top and shrugged it on. She hadn't spoken to either of them since before Jason caught her and Tommy.

"We can leave if you're busy," Trini said.

"No, it's fine. Um… have a seat."

Trini sat down at the foot of Kimberly's bed, while Billy sat down at her desk.

"We have your homework you missed. Everyone's asking about you," the yellow ranger said gently.

"What'd you tell them?" Kim asked.

"That you have fallen ill and will return once you have fully recovered," the blue ranger supplied.

Kim nodded, grabbing the books and papers from Trini and tossing them onto her bed. "Thanks."

The pink ranger was sure the rumor mill was going bonkers at her sudden disappearance. She'd missed a full week of school so far. Her mom would kill her if she ever found out that she was skipping. Kim had gone through great lengths to make sure her mom didn't find out, from deleting all messages from the school reporting her absence from the answering machine to making sure to wave at her neighbors as she "walked" to school each morning to ensure they didn't tell her mom she stayed home.

Trini cleared her throat. "How are you, Kim?"

"I'm good, Tri. Never better."

The blue and yellow rangers looked at each other, knowing she was lying.

"The truth, Kim."

She picked at her nails. "I'm okay. Not great, but… I'll manage." Kimberly sighed, fingers running through her hair. "Things have been noticeably tense since Jason and I ended things."

"I'm sorry to hear that your relationship with Jason has terminated," Billy said, his tone sincere.

"So am I," Trini said. She eyed the pink ranger before clearing her throat awkwardly. "And Tommy...?"

The pink ranger tensed, arms crossed over her chest. "I wouldn't know. I haven't spoken to him since..." she trailed off.

It was a lie, but they didn't need to know that. He had visited her two nights ago, and the two had shared a kiss that she was trying hard to forget. She lied and told him that things with Jason were well on their way to being repaired in order to get him to back off, knowing it would hurt him. If he knew that things with Jason were truly over, Tommy would have tried to comfort her, and that would have only led to her making yet another mistake.

Beyond that night and the fight in the Megazord, she and the green ranger hadn't spoken.

The room was filled with awkward silence, the subject of Tommy killing the ease in the room.

"Right, well, we just wanted to drop your stuff off to you. We'll see you later, Kim," Trini said softly, gathering her things.

As her friends headed for the bedroom door, Kim felt a pang of guilt. Throughout this whole mess with Tommy, she had kept them at arm's length, avoiding them when possible to make it easier for her to continue cheating on Jason. At the news of her infidelity, none of the other rangers had confronted her, trying their best to remain neutral to the situation and leave it between her and Jason. She could at least be kind to them.

"Guys, wait," she called out to them. They turned to face her.

Kim approached them, biting on her lip nervously. "I know with everything going on it's not easy for you being in the middle… but I just want to say thank you. You didn't have to bring my things to me – hell, the fact that you're even talking to me instead of biting my head off is kind of crazy. I just… well… thanks."

Billy nodded, reaching out a hand to grasp her shoulder. "Our friendship with you was forged long before your romantic involvement with Jason, Kimberly. And while it is disheartening to learn the details surrounding the demise of your relationship, it does not change our opinion of your character. We know that you are an upstanding individual and a loyal friend and teammate. You have simply lost your way, but we have the utmost confidence that you will find it again in time."

The pink ranger blinked back tears, startling the blue ranger when she jumped into his arms. Billy stumbled back, wrapping her in a tight hug as she cried into his neck. Trini giggled softly at his bewildered expression, wiping gently at her own wet eyes. She rubbed soothing circles into Kimberly's back.

The pink ranger pulled back, cheeks and ears red in embarrassment from her emotional outburst. She idly wondered if her hormones were to blame but knew that wasn't the case. Billy's words meant a lot to her, and it helped to know that her friends still loved her, despite her flaws.

"Thank you." She turned to Trini. "Both of you."

The yellow ranger nodded. "Zack said to tell you he still loves you. He's very disappointed in what you've done, but he loves you all the same. It's just… Jason –"

"Needs him more," Kim finished, understanding the tight spot Zack was now put in with their split. "I'll give him a call this weekend."

Trini pulled Kimberly into a tight hug. "It'll get better, okay? We've been through monsters and saving the world from certain doom. We'll make it through this, too," she whispered. The yellow ranger pulled back, hands clasping Kimberly's. "If you need anything, let us know. Okay?"

The pink ranger nodded. She watched them leave, hand rubbing gently at her abdomen.

It felt good to know that her friends didn't hate her. Disappointment in her actions she could deal with, but their hatred would have been a hard pill to swallow. She knew she was undeserving of such caring friends, and she vowed to never give them reason to be disappointed in her again.

Kim closed the door behind them with a soft click. She walked over to her bed and laid down, shuffling through the various papers Billy and Trini gave her. Absently, she grabbed one of her stuffed animals, playing with its tail as she looked over her homework.

Her chest tightened when she saw that she had grabbed the green dragon Tommy had given her. A small frown played on her lips as she continued toying with the dragon's tail.

' _I think I could have loved you, too.'_

Kim blinked away the sting of tears, rubbing her belly again as she pushed back thoughts of the green ranger. She tossed the stuffed animal across the room, swearing when she saw it collide with the stuffed red T-Rex lying on its side in the corner.

She rolled her eyes at the sight. _'It always comes back to them, doesn't it?'_

The pink ranger crossed the room, grabbing both stuffed animals and tossing them into the back of her closet. The stuffed animals were soon joined by the framed photo of her, Jason, and Tommy that usually sat on her desk. Reminders of her romantic entanglements with the red and green rangers were counterproductive, especially now.

"Out of sight, out of mind," she whispered, closing the door.

With a baby on the way, Kimberly knew she needed to focus – and if she were being completely honest, it was a welcome distraction. The constant back and forth with Tommy and Jason had been stressful for her. The cheating and lying and fighting had weighed heavily on her, and now that it was over, she felt more like herself again.

The Kimberly who made good choices and was reliable and didn't lose sight of the bigger picture.

Getting pregnant was helping her put things in perspective again. This wasn't about her feelings for Tommy and Jason anymore – it was about her baby. What was best for the baby, and consequently her, was her priority now.

And the first thing she needed to do? Tell Tommy. Even if the green ranger was not her favorite person at the moment, he needed to know about their child. Leaving it to chance for him to find out on his own would undoubtedly be disastrous.

Kimberly picked up her phone, dialing the familiar number. She pulled at the raveling threads of her comforter as the phone rang.

" **Hello, Sandra speaking…"**

"Hi, Mrs. Oliver, it's Kimberly," she said with more cheerfulness than she felt. "Is Tommy home?"

" **Oh, hello Kimberly! Yes, he is home. Just give me a second."**

The pink ranger heard rustling over the phone, followed by Mrs. Oliver yelling for her son. His voice came over the line a few seconds later.

" **Hello?"** The sound of his voice alone made her heart thud faster.

"Tommy," she said softly.

There was a slight pause on his end. **"Um…hey…"** he said slowly, confusion clear in his voice.

She couldn't blame him for being confused – their last meeting was not a friendly one. With a heavy sigh, the pink ranger began to break the news.

"We need to talk."

* * *

 _As always, your feedback is appreciated. Please read and review._

 _Also, just a note to everyone: I will eventually begin migrating my stories over to my AO3 account of the same name in order to comply with the rules here. My older stories will remain on this site, but will be edited to remove the more mature content. This will take place over the course of this year (full content will still be available at AO3). The move will be done by the time the_ Cost _series is complete._


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note:** Here's another chapter for you all. This takes place in Chapter 8 of _Control _. It's the day before Chapter 9, i.e. "The Trainwreck" when Kim finds out what he did to Zordon and Alpha 5. Something sweet and sexy to counter the pain of the last chapter I posted for Part II LOL._

 _As a warning, this chapter is rated MA for sexy times... so fair warning! And please forgive any spelling or grammar errors._

* * *

 **Kimberly's Bedroom**

 **Hart Residence**

 **Angel Grove, CA**

 **Friday, 5:27 AM**

' _I'm a complete and utter asshole.'_

The thought repeated itself in Tommy's mind as Kimberly pressed her lips against his softly. He sighed into her mouth, tongue teasing hers playfully.

His fingers tangled in her hair as she pressed feather light kisses along his face and neck. He swallowed thickly when she descended his torso, tensing up when her fingers teased the waistband of his sweatpants. She reached into his boxers and pulled his cock out.

"Kim," he moaned when she stroked him. Try as he might, he couldn't help thrusting into her hand.

Two nights ago, he broke into the Command Center, sending her mentor spiraling out of his time warp to be potentially lost forever. It was clear Kimberly and the other rangers assumed Zordon was still undergoing his centurial recharge and hadn't discovered what had happened yet.

There was no way in hell she'd be here right now otherwise.

Tommy gripped her wrist to halt her movements and gasped when he felt her soft breaths against the head of his cock. Time seemed to stand still in the bedroom as he contemplated what to do. Kim would be fucking _furious_ with him when she found out what he'd done – sex would only make things worse.

But God dammit, it was too tempting.

Biting his lip, Tommy's hand slid from her wrist to the back of her head, gently guiding her down to his lap where she took him into her mouth.

The green ranger hissed from the wet heat around his cock, the sounds of Kim's blowjob echoing loudly in his ears. He grunted, hips thrusting of their own accord to get deeper into the moist cavern of her mouth.

Tommy lay back against the bed in a euphoric daze, fingers tangled in auburn locks to guide her head up and down his length. The anxiety he felt waned each time he slid past her lips. She slurped and sucked on his cock, licking him like he was her favorite ice cream. His mind was blank, barely able to recall his own name let alone why this was a bad idea.

"Ohmygod," he rasped, shivering when she reached down and cupped his balls. "Ohmygod… _Jesus_ …"

The green ranger was delirious, his head rolling back against the pillows. He glanced down, able to peak at her face through the curtain of her hair as she bobbed over his lap. She was taking her time, drawing out his pleasure for as long as he could take it, which wouldn't be much longer at this rate.

Tommy felt his balls tighten up, torn between disappointment and relief that he was about to cum. Her lips wrapped around the head of his cock, sucking it so intensely that his knees began to shake. When his cock swelled, Kim swallowed him whole one final time, and he broke when he felt the head of him slide into her tight throat.

" _Ungh!_ " Tommy gripped the sheets, arching as he came. Her small hand massaged his sack as she swallowed every drop – Tommy was convinced she was trying to kill him. He sagged against the mattress when she finally released him.

Kimberly sat up straight, wiping the corner of her mouth and tucking her hair behind her ears. The pink ranger crawled up his lean form, straddling his waist.

Tommy let out several harsh pants, eyes closed. When he opened them, he found Kimberly staring at him with a smug smirk.

And once again, he felt like a total asshole.

She narrowed her eyes at the somber expression on his face. "I just gave you an amazing blowjob, and _that's_ the face you make?" She poked his chest. "What's wrong?"

Tommy frowned, fingers drawing random patterns along her skin. "Nothing. Just… just thinking."

"About?"

He stroked his hand idly up and down her arm. "Are you going to school today?" he asked, changing the subject.

The pink ranger bent down and tugged his nipple between her teeth, drawing a hiss from him. "Planned on it. I mean, I know it's a half-day, but I usually go anyway."

"Why don't you just skip today?" he whispered, thumb trailing the goosebumps on her skin.

She raised an eyebrow. "And do what exactly?" she asked teasingly, nipping at his bottom lip.

Tommy leaned up and pressed a heated kiss to her lips. His lips trailed down her neck to lick at the tender flesh.

"Spend the day with me," he mumbled into her throat.

The pink ranger bit her lip, eyes fluttering closed from his ministrations. "Why would I do a thing like that?"

"Because," he pulled back, kissing her again, "you know you'd rather spend alone time with me than looking at Ms. Appleby."

Kimberly scoffed. "Says you."

She climbed off of the bed and grabbed her t-shirt off the floor, shrugging it on over her head. "Ms. Appleby is _way_ less annoying than you are."

Tommy rolled onto his side and grinned. He held a hand to his chest in mock hurt. "Ouch."

She leaned over and kissed him. "Sorry, babe, it's the truth."

The green ranger pinched her butt as she scurried away from him giggling. The sound of her laughter was infectious, pulling a low chuckle from him.

"I'm serious," he said, fingers playing with the purple sheets on her bed. "You're a good student, so you know your mom will be okay with it. We can spend the day together."

Kimberly sighed. "As amazing as you may think it is, another sex marathon is not what I had planned for the day."

He rolled his eyes. "For your information, I wasn't planning on having sex all day, although…" He rubbed his chin. "…it's not like that's a bad idea. You certainly didn't have any complaints the last time."

A pillow to the face made him snort with laughter. "I'm kidding!" he said, hands raised defensively.

"Yeah, whatever." She tied her hair up into a messy ponytail. "If I _were_ to skip school – and that's a _big_ if – what would we do?"

Tommy could tell she was intrigued by the idea and fought hard to keep from smiling. "Can't tell you that – it'd ruin the surprise."

"Surprise?" she asked curiously.

"Mmhmm." He laid back against the bed with his arms behind his head.

Truthfully, Tommy didn't really know what the hell they would do. He hadn't thought far beyond just wanting to spend time with her – now he actually had to think of something to do.

"I call bullshit," she said. "Unlike you, mister, I've lived here all my life. There's very little around here we could do that would surprise me." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Not many places we could even go for that matter."

He frowned, recognizing her point was true. Publicly, she was very much in a relationship with the red ranger. They couldn't just run around Angel Grove and not expect anyone to notice them together.

And then an idea came to the green ranger.

"What?" she asked when she saw the look on his face.

"Who said we'd be spending the day in Angel Grove?"

* * *

 **U.S. Route 101**

 **Near Reefside, CA**

 **9:53 AM**

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this."

Tommy smirked and reached out across the center console to intertwine his fingers with Kimberly's.

The two were in his truck headed north up the California coast. They'd been driving now for over two hours.

"Live a little, Kim." He squeezed her hand. "Don't tell me that sneaking off together like this doesn't give you just a _little_ bit of a rush? We both know there's a bit of a bad girl in there."

The pink ranger turned to look out the window, hiding the smile that crept onto her face from his view.

She hated to admit it, but there _was_ a certain thrill in running off with Tommy for the day.

"I know you're smiling," he said teasingly. "I can see your reflection in the window."

"Dammit," she swore softly. He snickered.

As he continued to drive, Tommy watched her from the corner of his eye. Kimberly sat with her legs crossed, her denim skirt riding up her smooth thighs. Her hair was loose and swept to one side, exposing her neck to his gaze. Her pale lavender peasant blouse drew attention to her breasts.

Tommy thought she looked gorgeous and felt the sudden urge to kiss her. He tugged her towards him, kissing her soundly on the lips before sitting back in his seat.

The pink ranger bit her lip as she observed the green ranger while he drove. His hair was slicked back into a strict ponytail. The red and black checkered vest he wore accentuated his muscles, and those damn black jeans hugged his frame just right.

But it was the way he held her hand that really had her attention.

Tommy was always affectionate with her – his allegiance to the Dark Empire hadn't changed that – but today it seemed more so than usual. The way his thumb casually stroked the back of her hand sent the butterflies in her stomach into a frenzy.

"Welcome to Reefside," she murmured upon reading the sign on the side of the road as they exited off the highway. The pink ranger turned wide eyes to the teen next to her. "You drove us to _Reefside?!_ "

"Yeap." Tommy smiled. "Don't you want to be able to just be together? Out in the open?"

Kimberly bit at her fingernail. "Yeah, but..."

"Reefside was the first place I could think of that was a pretty big town where no one would recognize us. It was going to be Stone Canyon at first but," he shrugged, "we compete with them way too often to go around unnoticed. And people still remember me from when I lived there."

"I get it, I just…" The pink ranger pinched the bridge of her nose as the truck pulled into a gas station. "The first place you thought of was 150 miles away? Seriously?" she asked incredulously.

Tommy pulled up next to a pump and shut the engine off. He opened the door, winking in her direction as he climbed out. "Like I said, live a little."

The door slammed shut before she could yell at him for being so reckless.

Kimberly slumped down in her seat with a sigh. She'd never been to Reefside before. She'd met other gymnasts from the city at various competitions but hadn't ever had the opportunity to visit herself. She'd heard good things and was admittedly a little curious to see what the town had to offer.

A tap on the window pulled her from her thoughts. She saw Tommy standing there with a newspaper and two drinks in his hands. Kimberly rolled the window down.

"Here,' he said handing her the newspaper and a bottle of water. "I was thinking maybe we could catch a movie? Can you check if there's something good?"

Kimberly flipped through the pages to the entertainment section to see what was playing.

The green ranger hummed softly to himself as he pumped gas into his truck. It felt good to walk around and stretch after such a long drive.

When he was done, he climbed back into the truck. "Find anything interesting?"

"Yes," she said with an impish grin.

Tommy narrowed his eyes. "What is it?"

She turned the paper towards him and pointed. The green ranger groaned.

"Romeo + Juliet? Come _on_ , Kim. You already know how the story ends."

"I know, but…" She bit her lip. "It's _Leonardo DiCaprio!_ "

He rolled his eyes. Tommy knew all too well Kimberly's love affair with the actor.

"I've been meaning to see it with Trini but haven't had any time. It looks so good, Tommy, and you know I _have_ to support my future husband."

The green ranger pretended to gag, earning him a swat on the arm. He took the paper from her and groaned.

"God dammit, nothing else good is playing." He glared at her eager face. "All right, what time?"

The pink ranger squealed excitedly and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. The green ranger just grunted and started the engine, pulling out onto the main road.

"The first showing is at 11:30." She looked at her watch and frowned. "But that's not for another hour."

"All right," Tommy said. "We can head over to the mall then. There should be one around here on the main strip – at least, I think this is where my mom took me last time." He scanned the road. "I've been meaning to grab some new headphones."

Tommy turned slowly when he felt her staring at him. "What?"

"Y-You _want_ to go to the mall? With _me_?" she asked disbelievingly.

"Of course I don't _want_ to, that'd be crazy," he corrected. "But we need to kill time, right? Plus, you usually shop for hours. How much could you possibly buy in only one?"

If Tommy had known she'd take his question as a challenge, he would've kept his mouth shut.

Forty-five minutes later, Tommy trailed behind a grinning pink ranger to his truck, arms loaded up with bags. The plastic was starting to bite into his skin from the weight of her purchases.

Kim tapped her foot as she waited for him. "Chop, chop, Tommy! We can't be late for the movie!"

The long-haired teen growled low in his throat as he tossed the bags into the backseat. Kimberly let out a squeal when he suddenly pinned her against the side of the truck, fingers attacking her ticklish ribcage.

Tommy stopped after a few seconds of torturing her and pulled her shaking form into his. She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him to her. He pulled back and pressed his forehead against hers, breathing in the moment of simply being with her. The pink ranger stood on the tips of her toes and nuzzled her nose against his briefly before pressing her lips against his. Tommy inhaled deeply through his nose, chest filling with warmth as his tongue sought hers. His hands slid down to cup her ass and lift her up, pulling her closer to him. Kimberly wrapped her arms around his neck, fingers running through his thick locks.

The green ranger refused to admit it out loud, but this was what he loved the most. The sex was amazing, but he could get that anywhere. It was the ease of being with her – no Lord Zedd, no power rangers, no Jason. Just the two of them together like they were now and how amazing it felt.

He didn't want to lose that.

A pinch on his side caused him to break the kiss.

"You think you're so smart," she said, a twinkle in her eyes. "Not even your kisses will be enough to distract me from Leo." He chuckled and pressed their foreheads together.

"Come on," she whispered. Tommy nuzzled her nose again before releasing her.

"Yeah," he agreed somberly. "Let's go."

* * *

 **Reefside Community Park**

 **South End**

 **Reefside, CA**

 **2:02 PM**

"Ow!"

Tommy glared at the pink ranger as he rubbed the back of his hand. Kimberly glared right back.

"I already told you," she said, a fry pointed threateningly in his direction. " _Stop_ trying to eat my food."

The green ranger's eyes moved between her and the fry a few times before he leaned forward and bit it. He leaned back, a smug grin on his face as he chewed.

After the movie, the two decided to grab a late lunch. They found a Greek restaurant a few blocks away and grabbed something to eat. The original plan had been to eat at the restaurant, but the weather was so nice that they decided to eat at the park they passed on the way in. Tommy took out the blanket in his backseat and spread it over the truck bed, using the space to eat their lunch together.

Tommy had already wolfed down his gyro and fries – he had been positively starving. Kim was nearly done with her gyro bowl and small order of fries.

"Can I have another one?" he asked sweetly.

"No," she snapped before eating another fry.

"Please?" he begged, poking her gently in her side. The green ranger kept poking her over and over until her frown morphed into a reluctant grin.

"God dammit," she whispered. Kimberly held out her box of fries to him. He grinned, grabbing several and shoving them into his mouth.

She made a face. "Charming."

A mischievous gleam appeared in his eyes. "What? You don't like this?" he asked around a mouth full of food.

"Ugh, Tommy! Way gross!"

He crawled over to her and she squealed when his mouth got closer to her face. "I swear I will kick your ass, Tommy Oliver! _Don't you_ _dare!_ "

She punched him in the stomach, causing him to falter and fall onto his back. He snickered at the disgusted look on her face.

"Worth it," he said once he swallowed his food.

Tommy shielded his face from the sun as he stared up at the clouds. Every now and then, he would feel a nudge against his thigh. He playfully reached out and grabbed the troublesome foot, tickling the sensitive underside lightly until Kimberly managed to pull away from him.

She watched Tommy curiously as he lay beside her. She was so used to the brooding, fierce warrior in the green suit that it was a welcome change to see this side of him – _her_ Tommy. His smile, his laugh, his playfulness, the sweet way he was only with her… it was the part of him that lately only came out every now and then.

Kim wasn't entirely sure what changed to bring this side of him out, but she had no complaints. It reminded her why she fell for him in the first place.

Tommy turned to look at her when he felt the weight of her stare, and he grinned when he saw her flush from being caught watching him. He turned away from her, eyes closed as he enjoyed the beautiful weather. With everything going on with the Dark Empire and being the green ranger, it was easy to forget about the little things that came so rarely these days. Skipping school just for fun, having lunch at the park, being a normal teenager out on a date with his girlfr–

The green ranger tensed up. _'She's not your girlfriend, Tommy. Where the hell did that come from?'_ he thought angrily.

But when he looked up at her again, he knew exactly where that thought came from.

It's what she was to him…and exactly what he wanted her to be.

When she finished eating, the pink ranger grabbed their trash and threw it in the nearby trashcan. She climbed back onto the truck and curled into his side, twirling the ends of his curly hair around her fingers. Her arms wrapped tightly around his stomach, and one leg rest between his. Tommy idly ran his fingers through her hair.

The green ranger pressed a soft kiss against the top of her head, and Kimberly stirred against him, head turning up to look at him.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked softly.

' _How you're going to hate me for what I did to Zordon'_ is what immediately came to mind, but instead, he said, "How horrible you are for making me watch that movie."

Kimberly grinned. "Yeah?" she asked playfully, leaning over to plant soft kisses against his mouth.

"Mmhmm." Kiss. "Just the…" Kiss. "Absolute..." A firmer kiss. "Worst." She groaned when his tongue slid past her lips to kiss her thoroughly.

"Liar," she whispered. "You were totally into it, Tommy. You just don't wanna admit I was right." She poked his chest haughtily.

The green ranger growled before wrapping an arm around the back of her neck and slanting his mouth over hers, tongue curling erotically around hers to stoke the flames of desire that had been building since that morning. Tommy climbed on top of her, hand slipping underneath her shirt and bra to rub her breasts. He grinned against her mouth when he felt her nipples harden against his palm. Her hands skimmed down to his waist, playfully tugging at the zipper of his jeans.

"Anyone can see us here," she reminded him.

They were in a secluded area of Reefside Park. The tall trees provided some cover from prying eyes, but there was no guarantee they wouldn't be seen.

"I know," he said, pressing a wet kiss to her throat. "Makes it that much hotter."

She shivered when his hands slid beneath her skirt, tugging her panties down her legs to hang around her knees. He kissed her hard, gasping when his fly was undone. She pushed his jeans and briefs down so that his cock was free.

Tommy licked at her throat, grinding against her hard. Kimberly sighed in his ear, hands running up and down his neck and shoulders while her legs spread open to make room for him. Tommy reached between her knees and yanked her panties off, tearing them into pieces.

"Tommy," she hissed. "Those are _not_ cheap, you bas – ." He shut her up with a toe-curling kiss and rolled them over so that she was on top.

"Ride me," he whispered when he broke the kiss, voice rough with need.

Kimberly smiled as she pulled her shirt over her head, tossing it next to their shoes in the corner of the truck bed. Her bra joined it seconds later. She bent over, kissing him deeply while her hand snaked between their bodies to grab his cock. The green ranger's eyes closed, body shivering slightly when her lips and teeth paid special attention to the sensitive spots at the base of his throat.

"Oh _fuck_ ," she gasped, eyes fluttering closed when she slid onto him. Tommy grabbed her ass, kneading the flesh gently. He bit his lip and thrust up into her slowly. The pink ranger worked herself on his shaft, encasing him again and again within her slick walls. The two kissed passionately as they rocked together, eating each other's moans and sighs of ecstasy.

Kimberly pushed herself upright, hands braced against his chest as she began to ride him faster. The green ranger cupped her bouncing breasts, taking each into his wet mouth and suckling the hardened nipples hungrily. He pulled back slightly to look into her eyes, grinning at the way she bit her lip to quell her cries. Kim couldn't help but to smile back when their eyes connected.

The green ranger laid back when he felt her thrusts start to come a bit harder, hands still gently massaging her breasts. The pink ranger covered his hands with her own and rolled her head back, her moans no longer restrained. Tommy watched intently as she began to lose control, her rhythm becoming erratic as she grew closer to climax.

Kimberly cried out, hands perched on his chest as she bounced harder on his cock. " _Oh… ohgod… unh…. nngh… shit… Tommyfuck…_ " she whined.

His eyes burned green when her movements became frantic, walls tightening around him in a vice-like grip. Tommy leaned forward, sucking her right nipple into his mouth.

" _Oh…oh…OH! OH!_ " The pink ranger whimpered and bent over, head resting against his. She jerked and trembled over him as she came, legs kicking out alongside his against the blanket as her climax rolled over her. Her fingers twisted in his long locks and tugged almost painfully. Tommy grinned against her breasts at her quivering and moaning, ego swelling at the way he made her lose control.

The green ranger pumped his hips up, sinking deep into her contracting heat. "Who said you could stop?" he whispered into her throat, reaching around to slap her ass beneath her skirt. He swirled his tongue around a taut nipple.

Biting her lip, Kim started riding him again, nails digging into his chest. Her pussy felt like hot silk around his cock, the sensation so pleasurable it made his eyes roll into the back of his head. The pink ranger moaned, her body still reeling from her first orgasm while her second was well on its way.

Tommy loved the wild way she fucked him, her cries desperate now that she was approaching the edge again. They were loud enough now that anyone nearby would surely hear him, and the thought of getting caught made him grow harder. He gripped her ass, holding on for dear life as she slammed her hips against his roughly, pulling a breathless gasp from the green ranger after each thrust.

"Kim, _fuck yes_ …" Tommy groaned, lost in the moment as he lay back and let her ride him. "Shit!"

Kim rode him at a fierce gallop. The green ranger groaned at the familiar tension growing in his belly, head rolling back against the blanket.

"Shit," he panted, thrusting up into her as best he could. "Gonna – _fuck_ – cum – _unh_!"

The pink ranger rolled her hips harder, taking him in to the hilt on each stroke. She was too snug around him, and he could feel her tightening her walls on each downward stroke.

"Kim! I'm c-cu– " Tommy stuttered, fingers digging into the flesh of her hips.

" _Ungh! AH! A-AH!_ " he yelled, helpless as he gave in to the fire coursing through his veins. He breathed harshly through his nose, hips stuttering beneath hers. His orgasm raced through him, though to his surprise, he didn't ejaculate.

"Okay…you… _stop_ …" Tommy panted when the tremors of his release began to subside, but she kept on going.

The pink ranger tossed her head back with a cry, slamming her hips against his forcefully as she came again.

" _Tommy… oh! OH! Ah…nngh!_ "

Kimberly's entire world went blank with pleasure, hands curled into tiny fists as they pressed hard against the green ranger's chest. She fucked him desperately through her climax, sucking him deep into her pussy over and over.

Tommy's mind shattered when his cock suddenly swelled again. He hunched over, fingers digging into her hips. The green ranger growled her name, cumming deep inside of her.

" _Ohfuck… unh… god-AH!_ " The green ranger grit his teeth. He shakily tangled his fingers in her hair, lunging up into her with deep, sharp thrusts.

Tommy groaned, abdomen contracting with each delicious spurt from his cock. The green ranger arched against the blankets in ecstasy, his hips grinding up into hers as best he could. His legs trembled wildly as she continued to ride him through her orgasm. His hands shook as he struggled to hold her hips, the pleasure almost too intense for him to bear.

Kimberly eventually slowed down to smooth, shallow strokes, stopping completely once her own climax ended. Tommy sagged back against the truck bed tiredly, suddenly feeling boneless and drained. Kimberly slumped over him with a gasp, forehead resting against his as they tried to catch their breath. She buried her head into his neck and curled into him, still trembling from her powerful release. Tommy kissed along her face and neck, slowly running soothing hands up and down her back to calm her.

The green ranger felt something wet on his shoulder. He lifted her up so that he could see her face and was surprised to find she was crying.

"What's wrong?" he asked in concern.

Kimberly laughed, sniffling slightly before she pressed a kiss to his lips. "Nothing, I just… that was a lot."

Tommy eyed her, a smug smile curling onto his lips. "The sex was so good it made you cry? Kim, I'm flattered."

The pink ranger rolled her eyes. "Shut up," she hissed out before he pulled her into a kiss.

They lay together for a few more minutes before getting dressed. He snickered at the angry scowl Kimberly shot him when she picked up her torn panties.

"I already told you it doesn't make sense for you to wear them around me. You know I'm just going to rip them off of you." His eyes flashed green. "Literally."

The pink ranger felt heat creep up her neck from his intense gaze.

Tommy checked his watch and sighed. "We need to head back," he said softly. "Traffic's gonna pick up soon. We have to leave now if we want to get ahead of it."

Kim nodded, a small frown on her face. Today had been wonderful – just the two of them together. She understood the crestfallen look on Tommy's face. She didn't want it to end either.

"Hey," she said, bumping his hip. "It's not the end of the world. We can always do this again, right?"

The green ranger smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Right."

Twenty minutes later, Tommy's white F-150 was headed down the California coast back towards Angel Grove. Kimberly sat curled up in the passenger seat with Tommy's letterman jacket wrapped around her as she slept.

He furrowed his brow when his mind switched to her impending discovery of what he did to Zordon and Alpha 5.

He could always tell her that Lord Zedd ordered him to do it, but that wasn't entirely true. The attack on Zordon was his idea, and he was the one that executed it.

' _And once she realizes that, does it really matter whether or not Lord Zedd told me to do it?'_ he thought miserably.

He spared a glance at the sleeping pink ranger and ran his hand through his hair nervously. It was pointless to think about the consequences of his actions now. He didn't regret what he did, and he clearly didn't feel enough for the pink ranger to keep from hurting her. He made his bed and he now he had to lay in it.

He just hoped that didn't mean losing her.

' _If she can accept cheating on Jason and sleeping with the enemy, what's one more thing?'_ he asked himself. _'I mean, I fight her and the others constantly, nearly killing them half the time, and she's still with me.. She won't like it, but she'll eventually understand this is just another one of those things that I do... right?'_

Once they arrived to Angel Grove, the green ranger drove straight to her house. Tommy put the truck in park alongside the curb and turned towards the pink ranger.

"Hey beautiful, it's time to wake up," he whispered, shaking her slightly.

Kimberly stirred awake, flushing prettily at his words. She rolled her eyes, though a small smile graced her lips. "You are _so_ corny."

The green ranger gave a light smile. "It looks like your mom isn't home yet, so you should be in the clear. You need help with your bags?"

"Nah, I got it." Kim yawned and shook her head, shrugging off his jacket. She scrunched up her nose – his scent was all over her.

"We made good time," she said happily. "Don't have to run into mom and Pierre."

Tommy smiled ruefully. "That bad?"

The pink ranger shrugged. "He's a good guy. I like him a lot, actually. He just…"

"Isn't your dad?" the green ranger supplied. She nodded.

Tommy intertwined his fingers with hers. "It'll get easier."

"Yeah." Kim ran her free hand through her hair. "Thanks again for today," she said softly. "I had a wonderful time."

"Doesn't have to end, you know." At her confused glance, he continued. "Stop by my place tonight after dinner."

Kim gnawed on her bottom lip for a few seconds. "I'd have to wait until my mom gets home which could be late knowing h– "

"I'll be up," he told her, cutting her off. He watched as she contemplated the idea, silently willing her to accept the invitation.

"All right." The pink ranger tucked a lock of hair behind her ear nervously before pressing a quick kiss against his cheek. "I'll see you later."

He cupped the side of her face and pulled her in for a proper kiss, sucking her tongue into his mouth. The pink ranger stared at him wide-eyed when he pulled back, surprised that he kissed her when anyone could see them.

"Don't keep me waiting long," he said lowly.

Kim's eyes trailed down to his lips then back up to his eyes. "I won't."

* * *

 **Tommy's Bedroom**

 **Oliver Residence**

 **Angel Grove, CA**

 **10:43 PM**

" _Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try."_

Kimberly could vaguely make out the words coming from the television across the room. One of Tommy's VHS recordings of the Simpsons was playing.

At least, she _thought_ it was the Simpsons.

"God dammit, Tommy," she said around a moan, arching into his caress. "I don't – _fuck_ …"

She had teleported over to his place over an hour ago. Initially, the two were just watching TV, cuddled together and talking on his bed.

And then suddenly, Tommy was _all_ over her.

The green ranger continued pressing hot kisses to her neck while his right hand slid between her thighs. She hissed when skilled fingers stroked her sex, rubbing her clit to get her wet. While his fingers teased her swollen clit, his other hand tweaked and tugged at her sensitive nipples.

Kimberly whimpered, arching into his hand. Tommy removed his fingers from her, and he couldn't help his moan at the sight of his digits covered in her slick essence. He sat on his knees between her splayed legs and grabbed her ankles, lifting them up and over his head.

Kimberly squealed when he descended on her, his tongue dipping into her core eagerly. She shuddered, fingers wrapping around his locks tightly as she rocked against his lips. He sucked and licked and tasted, feasting on her as she cried out wantonly. Her cries sounded muffled to him due to how tightly her thighs were locked around his head. He pried her legs apart, fingers sliding deep inside of her while he latched on to her clit. Kimberly released a guttural moan, riding his fingers hard as he lapped at her sex.

" _Fuck_ ," she gasped. " _Ohgod… please…please…unh…_ "

The room was quiet save for the sound of wet suction between her thighs and her moans that were increasing in volume and pitch. His fingers moved quickly inside of her, while his tongue made slow, languid circles around her sensitive bud, tenderly sucking it into his mouth occasionally.

Tommy waited until she was practically humping his face before pressing a firm hand to her stomach and humming low and deep in his throat. The vibrations went straight to her clit and she cried out, grinding hard against his mouth and chin as she came.

" _Ohmygodbaby… oh…yes_ … _YES!_ " She arched her back and came, allowing him to scoop her up by her backside and hold her to him. His tongue flicked rapidly against her throbbing nub, each lick causing her to tremble and moan. She groaned in discomfort after a while, pushing his head away from her and closing her thighs.

Tommy kissed his way up her trembling abdomen, lips latching on to pebbled nipples as he suckled them hungrily. The pink ranger arched into him, bottom lip tucked between her teeth. He made his way up to her face and neck, kissing and licking every inch of skin he could find. Kimberly grabbed his face and pulled him to her, kissing him wetly and sucking his tongue into her mouth. She could faintly taste herself on his lips, and it only heightened her arousal.

The green ranger broke the kiss and pressed his forehead against hers, breathing hard. His eyes raked over her face, chest tightening from the desire, trust, and happiness there that was directed towards him.

Would she still look at him that way once she found out what he did?

Tommy kissed her hard, pushing his thoughts to the far recesses of his mind. He was here with her now – that's what he needed to focus on.

The two continued to kiss sensually, lips and tongues sliding wetly across each other's as their passion for each other grew more intense. Their kiss broke when Kimberly arched her back and gasped from the feeling of him sliding into her. She raked her fingers in his hair and pulled him back down to her, tugging his bottom lip between her teeth. The green ranger rocked his hips slowly, burying himself deeper and deeper into her pussy until he was in to the hilt.

" _Ohmygod_ ," she gasped into his mouth right before he kissed her again. She wrapped her arms around his neck, returning his heated kisses as best she could. Calloused fingers skimmed her sides, sending shivers up and down her body. The green ranger kissed along her neck and the side of her face, his thrusts now coming sharper.

" _Yeah… yeah… unh…_ " Shaking fingers tangled in his thick locks. " _Ah.. ah… godyes…_ "

Kimberly was finding it difficult to concentrate. Tommy usually fucked her like his life depended on it. He always had a preference for rough sex as he liked the way she screamed his name. This, though, this was different. It was slow, deliberate, intimate.

He was making love to her.

It wasn't the first time, but even then, she had been the one to initiate it. This was all his doing, and that made her feel lightheaded..

Tommy kissed her feverishly, swallowing her cries and moans for him to fuck her harder. Kimberly dug her nails into his back. She needed something to hold onto as she was quickly becoming overwhelmed. His weight on top of her was heavy but comfortable, their bodies pressed intimately together from head to toe. His cock was deep and thick inside of her, creating a sinful friction between her thighs that was slowly driving her insane. And his kisses were coming nonstop, stealing her breath away every time and feeding her desire for him.

It all felt like too much at once.

The green ranger pushed himself up on his hands over her, thrusting harder now that he could feel his release building. She gripped his ass, kneading the flesh as she worked herself on his cock. Tommy bent down and kissed her, sucking in her cry when he suddenly lunged deep inside her pussy. Her head rocked back exposing her throat.

" _Ohmygod… justlikethat, please…_ " she begged breathlessly.

He thrust hard into her twice more, licking her throat and nipping at the sensitive flesh as she cried out for him.

Kimberly moaned when his strokes became vigorous, the mattress squeaking loudly beneath them. He pressed his forehead against hers and gripped the headboard, sweat dripping down his face from the exertion. They were getting loud – too loud for his parents to ignore if they kept this up – but he didn't care. He wanted to hear every moan, every gasp she made for him.

Tommy stared down at her as she continued to cry out for him. The pink ranger arched her back and closed her eyes, her body writhing beneath his in pleasure.

" _Oh…oh…ah…AH! AH! AH!_ " She leaned up to kiss him. " _Don't stop… please don't stop_ ," she whimpered.

"I won't," he whispered against her lips.

And he didn't.

Tommy shivered when he felt her walls tighten up around his cock, felt her thighs squeeze his hips. Her cries increased in volume, echoing off the walls until she suddenly bucked beneath him with a shriek, cumming on his cock. Her nails scraped along his arms, digging into his skin and leaving angry red streaks. He groaned at the mixture of pleasure and pain, sinking down to lay flush against her and bury his face into her neck.

" _Tommy, ohgod! Oh god!_ " Kimberly tangled her fingers into his hair and grabbed the back of his neck. She frantically rotated her hips to work herself on his shaft.

The green ranger's mind was spinning from pure pleasure. His cock was bathed in her wetness, some of it now on his abdomen. He didn't want to cum just yet, but the way Kimberly was crying out in his ear from his deep thrusts and the sensation of her walls tugging and pulling at his cock was just too much for the teen.

" _Kim, baby…_ " Tommy gave a few more grinding thrusts into her heat before cumming with a hoarse groan. " _Uhn!_ "

He rotated his hips, whimpering softly as he spilled into her, coating her walls. Kimberly pulled him into a tender kiss, still grinding up into him as the last waves of her climax rolled through her. He broke the kiss and brushed his nose against hers.

"Jesus," she panted.

"You can call me Tommy," he said with a grin. She snorted, pulling him into a hug. He let her hold him for a long while, her fingers carding through his hair periodically while his arms were wrapped around her.

"Tommy." He tensed up in her arms. "Is everything okay?"

The green ranger sat up and shot her what he hoped was a confident smile. "Everything's fine."

Kimberly peered up at him, able to tell easily that he was lying. No matter how much he may have changed since becoming the green ranger, at his core, he was still the Tommy she knew.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

Tommy leaned down and kissed her softly. "I'm with you. How could anything be wrong?"

The corner of her mouth turned up. "Smooth," she said, dropping the issue for now.

The episode of the Simpsons playing in the background was the only sound in the room for some time as they continued to cuddle.

" _Marge, it takes two to lie: one to lie and one to listen."_

Kim ignored the truth resonating in Homer Simpson's words and pushed at Tommy's shoulders. "You're heavy," she complained.

The green ranger sat up on his knees and pulled out of her, his hands running up and down her legs. He squeezed her thighs, turned on at the sight of his seed dripping from her sex. Tommy crawled off of her to sit against the headboard.

His fingers combed through her hair, sliding down to grip her neck as he leaned down to give her another deep kiss. She moaned in the back of her throat, pulling away when the need to breathe was too strong.

"What time is it?" she asked suddenly.

He glanced at the clock on the wall. "Almost midnight."

"Shit, I didn't know it was that late." She looked around the room. "Where are my clothes?"

"You're leaving?" he asked softly.

"It's late, and I need to get to home," she whispered reluctantly.

She pushed herself up to climb off the bed when he gripped her arm. She shot him a questioning look.

"Don't go." He flushed at how intimate his words sounded. "I mean, you can spend the night here...if you want. Just teleport back to your house in the morning before your mom wakes up."

"I wish that was the case."

The green ranger watched her get off the bed, hair wild on top of her head as she searched for her belongings.

"I have an early day tomorrow. Training session at the Command Center." She stretched her arms above her head. "Can't be late again."

"Can't you just leave from here?" he asked.

She peered at him curiously. "Why do you want me to stay so badly?"

"Why do you want to leave?" he countered. At her raised eyebrow, he sighed. "Is it a crime to want to spend the night with my girl?"

Her heart raced at his words. "Your girl?"

"Yeah." He reached for her and pulled her back onto the bed to sit on his lap. "My awesome." Kiss on her neck. "Beautiful." Kiss on her cheek. "Sexy girl." He kissed her softly on the lips.

Kimberly wrapped her arms around his neck as a mix of emotions surged through her. On the one hand, she was thrilled that he wanted her to stay the night; but on the other, it made her uneasy. Tommy was never clingy and enjoyed having his own space. For him to be so insistent that she spend the night had her concerned.

Something was _definitely_ wrong.

"I guess I could stay few more hours," she whispered. "But to sleep – no sex. I really need to get some rest."

He hugged her closer to him, relief hitting him so intensely that he momentarily felt lightheaded. "Thank you."

* * *

 **Tommy's Bedroom**

 **Oliver Residence**

 **Angel Grove, CA**

 **Saturday, 3:39 AM**

The green ranger shivered from the cold and reached out for his blanket. He stirred awake when he realized he was alone in bed.

Kimberly was gone.

Tommy turned on the light on the nightstand. Blearily, he searched the room for the pink ranger but saw that she and her things were gone.

"Shit," he whispered as he ran his hands over his face.

Tommy grunted at the feel of something sticking into his side. He grabbed the object and looked at it, realizing it was a piece of paper with Kimberly's handwriting.

" _Hey, Tommy! By the time you see this, I'll be gone. I'll give you a call after my training session to see when we can meet up again. I could tell something was bothering you today but didn't push since we were having such a good time. I'm not sure if it was about your dad or something else, but you know you can always talk to me, right? I won't judge – promise. I'll see you later today. Kimberly."_

The green ranger crumpled up the note and threw it across the room. He grabbed a pillow and put it over his head, yelling into it in frustration.

This was it. She was going to find out, and there wasn't a goddamn thing he could do to stop it.

He wondered how she was going to react. Knowing Kim, she'd hit him, scream at him, break down into tears most likely. He'd get the silent treatment and wait for her to calm down before trying to talk things over. It would suck not being with her or talking to her for a while, but he could understand her need for a break.

' _A break? You're very optimistic,'_ a voice said in his head. _'You're assuming she'll still want to be with you after what you've done.'_

Tommy froze at that thought. He figured she'd be mad but she wouldn't just give everything up over this… would she?

 _'She has no right,'_ he thought defensively. _'Be upset with me? Fine. But she knows who I am, what I do. She knew what she was getting into when this all started.'_

 _'Everyone has a limit, Tommy,'_ the voice said gently.

Across the room, recorded episodes of the Simpsons continued to play on the television, casting an eerie glow in the basement. Milhouse's voice filled the room then from the episode currently playing.

" _We started out like Romeo and Juliet, but it ended up in tragedy."_

The green ranger growled and grabbed the remote off the nightstand, turning the television and VCR off in a huff.

Thinking about it wasn't helping, and really, he was going to drive himself crazy waiting for Kim to confront him. Maybe he could work on his truck today. That always provided a good distraction from his problems in the past, and his tires needed to be rotated anyway.

As for Kimberly, well… he'd just have to wait and see.

* * *

 _And there you go, folks. The next time you see an update from me, it will be for the first chapter of Part III of the trilogy. Promise!_

 _There's one, maybe two more chapters in this series to close out missing moments in the_ Control _part of the trilogy. After those are done, I'll be posting the moments belonging to_ Lost _. Actually, there might only be one more part for_ Control. _One of them is focused on the conception of their child, which basically just them having sex, so maybe there's no need for it - still debating on if I want to post that or not. If people are interested in reading it, just let me know._

 _As always, feedback is always appreciated. Thanks!_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note:** Not much to say here except here's the next chapter. Thanks to my beta Bellarose20 for helping out with the edit._

 _As always, please read and review (they keep me motivated)! All feedback is appreciated. Hope y'all like it! :)_

* * *

 **Command Center**

 **Medical Bay**

 **Angel Grove, CA**

 **Sunday, 6:58 PM**

" _We need air support!"_

" _On my way," Kim responded. She guided the pterodactyl zord towards Bel_ _é_ _m Tower… or rather, what was left of it._

" _I have a clear shot!" Kim activated the rockets in the left wing of her zord. "Rockets away!"_

 _The incoming missiles pushed Zedd's forces back, allowing the ground team of rangers to continue the evacuation of the area._

" _Thanks, Kim!" she heard Zack say over the comm link._

" _Anytime." The pink ranger steered her zord east towards Padr_ _ã_ _o dos Descobrimentos, where hundreds of Zedd's foot soldiers were moving in from the large submarine resting along the bank of the Targus river._

 _Kimberly opened fire on them, sending a torrent of bullets down on the soldiers and forcing them to run for cover. She charged up the remaining rockets in the right wing and took aim for the submarine._

" _Fire!" The starboard side of the submarine exploded, flames engulfing the large vessel._

" _Nice shot, Kim!" It was Jen, the pink Time Force ranger. "But you need to get out of there. Rygog has his men on you. They're trying to take you down."_

" _Got it." Kimberly maneuvered her zord with ease, dodging the missiles coming her way._

 _A sudden jolt from behind set off alarms around her. She groaned when she checked the system stats._

" _Damn," she whispered. Kim activated her comm link. "Guys, I've been hit. I'll be back when I can."_

" _Okay, Kimberly!"_

 _She steered her zord south away from the fight so she could assess the damage._

" _All right, the left engine is…" A dizzying wave just hit her. "Whoa." Kim shook her head. "Okay, I need to – " Another bout of dizziness raced through her._

" _Shit. Not now." Her stomach lurched into her throat and she bit back the urge to vomit. "I can't…"_

 _She gasped, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. The pink ranger ripped off her helmet and dropped it to the floor. Breathing was still difficult, but now her vision was incredibly blurry._

" _Kim, what are you doing? You're going too high!" It was Trini._

" _Do what?" she murmured. Her head felt stuffy and her eyes heavy. Why did she feel so sleepy all of a sudden?_

" _Kim! KIM!" She couldn't be sure but it sounded like Jason._

" _So loud…" she mumbled. Kim sank back into her chair in a daze. Her chest hurt, and her skin felt clammy._

" _Katie!"_

" _I'm on it!"_

 _The last thing the pink ranger remembered seeing before her world went black was a blurred figure in yellow standing above her and the sound of shattering glass._

Kimberly groaned as she came to. Bright lights burned her eyes, forcing her to cover them with her hands. She paused when she realized her body was covered with wires and hooked up to various machines.

The pink ranger took in her surroundings. She was in the Medical Bay in the Command Center.

"What the hell…?"

"Oh, Kimberly, you're awake!" Alpha 5 waddled over to the pink ranger. "How do you feel?"

"Fine, I guess… a little tired." She sat upright in the bed. "What happened?"

Her teammates were on the other side of the room in their power suits, helmets tucked under their arms. Their expressions were grim, and there was a tension in the air she couldn't place.

"You fainted in your zord." She jumped when Jason addressed her directly. "Katie went after you in her Time Flyer. She broke the windshield of the pterodactyl zord and pulled you out in time."

"Oh." She fidgeted under the red ranger's hard gaze. "And my zord?"

"Docked in the bay and undergoing repairs," Billy said. "When it was clear that you were out of harm's way, I had Alpha 5 override the controls and set the course here."

"I see." She bit her lip. "Can I still use it to fight?"

"The battle in Lisbon is over," Zack told her. "The Time Force rangers are searching for any stragglers in the area, but there's nothing left to be done now." He looked away. "Portugal is under Zedd's control."

The pink ranger bowed her head, heart heavy at the news that yet another country had fallen under the Dark Empire.

"And even if the battle wasn't over, you're in no condition to fight," Trini said softly.

Kim raised an eyebrow. "I know I said I'm still a bit tired, but I can still fight, Tri."

Jason averted his gaze, jaw clenched tight. Zack watched the red ranger worriedly. Billy and Trini wore similar expressions.

"Why are you all so –" An image on a nearby monitor caught her attention, pulling a startled gasp from her.

On the computer were the results of a bioscan. _Her_ bioscan.

Normally, she would think nothing of it. It was standard procedure to have one any time someone was hurt on a mission in order to judge the severity of the injury.

If they did one on her while she was unconscious, then that meant…

She winced, now understanding the reason for the tension in the room.

 _'Shit.'_

* * *

 **Command Center**

 **Workout Room**

 **Angel Grove, CA**

 **9:23 PM**

Jason Scott never considered himself a violent person. He knew he possessed skills that made him dangerous under the right circumstances, but he would never use them to cause anyone unnecessary harm.

At the moment, though, he really wanted to hurt someone – specifically, Tommy Oliver.

The red ranger growled at the thought of his former friend as he pummeled the punching bag. He _really_ hated that son of a bitch.

The door to the workout room opened. "Figured I'd find you here."

Jason didn't even look in Zack's direction. "I thought I made it clear I wanted to be alone."

"Hey man, if you wanna beat the shit out of the punching bag, go right ahead." Zack stood behind the bag and held it."…but I'm not leaving you alone."

Jason shot Zack an irritated look before getting in position again. The black ranger's muscles strained as he struggled to keep the bag in place from Jason's blows.

The red ranger paused before his next punch. "Ten weeks pregnant," he hissed. "I just…" He huffed and punched the bag again, nearly breaking it open. "Dammit…"

"You walked out before everyone could congratulate you…"

He frowned. "What?"

"On becoming a dad."

Jason bit back the bile in his throat and grunted. He punched the bag a few more times before stopping and wrapping his arms around it.

"Zack…"

"Hmm?"

He pressed his head against the bag. "…the baby isn't mine."

Zack sighed. "I know."

The red ranger ripped off his gloves and tossed them across the room. He did the math – ten weeks ago was their anniversary. The most they did that night was oral sex and some intense fingering, which meant she had to have slept with Tommy around the same time.

The thought alone made him want to scream from rage.

' _The hits just keep on coming, don't they?'_ he thought bitterly.

Zack stood back patiently and watched his friend pace.

"I was just starting to get over what happened, you know?" At Zack's incredulous look, he rolled his eyes. "Well, maybe not over it, but it didn't hurt as much as when I first found out…" He clenched his fists. "But now she's pregnant. With _his_ baby – not mine. How am I supposed to deal with that?"

The black ranger cocked his head to the side curiously.

"What?" Jason asked.

"Do you even want to be a dad?"

Jason froze, unprepared for the question. "I… well, yeah, I mean… I've always liked kids, and I always wanted to be a dad."

"That's not what I'm asking. Do you want to be a dad right _now_?"

The red ranger frowned. "I… no," he confessed.

"Then why does this upset you so much?" Zack asked.

"It's the principle, Zack," he snapped. "Maybe I didn't want a kid, but if this was going to happen, the baby should have been mine."

"So you're saying despite _everything_ that happened with Kim cheating on you, you would _want_ to be the father of her baby?" the black ranger asked in disbelief. "Jase, you can barely tolerate being in the same room as her for more than ten minutes. You'd really want to raise a baby in that kind of environment?"

Jason considered this. "No. I-I wouldn't."

"But…?"

Jason sighed. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

The red ranger sat down on the floor, one leg folded underneath him. "I wouldn't want to raise a child this young, and no, I wouldn't want to have this baby with things the way they are with Kim but…" He bit his lip. "It still should have been _me_ , but instead it's just one more thing he's taken from me."

Zack joined him on the floor, back resting against the wall. "Can we be honest with each other?"

The red ranger nodded. "Always."

"It sounds like you're more upset that the baby is Tommy's than the fact that it isn't yours."

Jason glared at him. "I'd be pissed about my girlfriend carrying the baby of _anyone_ she cheated on me with."

The black ranger scratched the back of his neck in discomfort. "Yeah, I-I know that… but you're _specifically_ mad that it's Tommy's." Jason tensed up. "I get that the guy's an asshole, and the idea that Kim would cheat on you with him is insane in and of itself... but you make it sound like this is all personal."

"That's because it is." Jason pinched the bridge of his nose. "But I guess that's what I deserve…"

"Dude, what are you talking about?"

The red ranger sighed, knowing now was the moment of truth. "I'm going to tell you something, and I need your word that you won't tell a soul. Not Trini, not Billy, not even Zordon."

Zack's eyes widened. "Promise."

"Before Tommy became the green ranger, you remember I told you I confronted them about their feelings for each other?"

"Yeah." The black ranger scowled. He still couldn't believe Kim had the nerve to say she thought Tommy was like family. He didn't know how things went down in her family, but anyone close to them could see those two were feeling each other romantically. Zack hated to admit it, but Tommy earned a tiny bit of respect from him for at least owning up to it.

"When I came back from that trip with my mom, I-I caught the two of them kissing in his truck."

The black ranger's eyes widened. "Oh, _shit_ , are you serious?"

"Yeah." Jason's nostrils flared as he relived that heartbreaking moment. "They both pretended like it didn't happen, and I was willing to go along with it… until I saw how Tommy's flings were hurting Kimberly."

Zack nodded in understanding, remembering well how short-tempered his petite friend was at the time. "She was jealous."

"Big time, and it was putting a strain on our relationship." He drew random patterns on the floor with his index finger. "A little while after that is when Tommy got captured by Rita and Goldar, and she asked for us to make the trade."

"Right," the black ranger said. "But then you went, and it was a trick to get you to – "

"I never went," Jason whispered.

"What?"

The red ranger ran his hands over his face, unable to look his friend in the eye. "I never went, Zack. I left him there to be tortured by Goldar because… because I was scared." He blinked back tears. "Kim had been so afraid when he was kidnapped – I'd never seen her like that in my life. And I just _knew_ the moment we got him back, that would be it. Whatever it was that was keeping her with me wouldn't be enough, and she'd finally drop me for him." Jason wiped at his face. "I had all these dreams of us together – going off to college, getting married and having kids. I panicked at the thought of losing that – of losing her, so I took the coward's way out." His voice became soft. "Now he's the green ranger and all of this is my fault."

"Jase…"

"I swear to you, Zack, I regretted it almost as soon as I did it. You don't know how bad I wish I could take it all back." He sniffled loudly. "But I can't, and now I have to live with the fact that he exists because of me."

Zack had always taken pride in his ability to always know exactly what to say in any situation, but this? He was at a loss for words. His initial response was disbelief and disappointment. Jason was one of the best people he knew. For him to do this, especially as the leader of the team, was unforgivable.

God, he was actually feeling bad for _Tommy_ now. Zack knew firsthand how much of a sick bastard Goldar could be… the fact that the green ranger was willingly subjected to that sort of torture by his best friend made the black ranger sick to his stomach.

"Say something… _please_."

"What do you want me to say?" Zack asked. "You fucked up, man. How could you do that to him? No wonder Tommy's been so ruthless – shit, I'd be pissed at you, too, if you did that to me." He held up his hands. "Now I'm not justifying murdering people and seducing your girlfriend by any means, but I can certainly understand the motivation."

The red ranger flinched, face wet from errant tears. "Yeah…"

Zack nudged Jason's leg with his foot. "That being said… you can't keep beating yourself up over it. Yeah, your decision may have pushed Tommy to become the green ranger, but we freed him, remember? You battled Goldar and destroyed the Sword of Darkness, but _he_ chose to stay with the bad guys. That's on him, not you. Hell, even everything with Kimberly…" The black ranger sighed. "I love her like a sister, but that's on her. Tommy may have targeted her because of you, but she didn't have to go along with it."

Jason frowned. He understood intellectually what Zack was saying was true, but he also knew his friend was trying to make him feel better.

"It's not that cut and dry, Zack. Yeah, they made their own choices along the way, but _none_ of this would have happened if I had just done the right thing and saved him like I was supposed to. This is my responsibility."

Zack leaned back against the wall as he regarded his friend thoughtfully. "Is that why you said the baby was yours?"

When the announcement was officially made that Kim would be off-duty due to her pregnancy, questions naturally arose from the other teams about the identity of the baby's father. Zack had been floored when Jason announced he was the father.

The red ranger pulled his knees up his chest. "I didn't make this baby… but I'm just as responsible for them being here as Kim and Tommy." His expression became somber. "I can't just leave her to handle that all by herself."

Zack raised an eyebrow. He could tell Jason really believed what he was saying just from the guilt written all over his face, but the black ranger also had a sneaking suspicion that despite everything, Jason still loved Kimberly, at least in some capacity. That love was pushing him to help her in her current condition, and for that, Zack was grateful. If the other teams ever found out that the father of Kim's baby was the green ranger, all hell would break loose. Fraternization with the enemy was strictly prohibited by the Eltarian Council and was considered treason, which was punishable by death.

No matter how he felt about the circumstances surrounding her relationship with Tommy, Zack would be damned if he let anything happened to her or her baby.

"Okay," the black ranger said rising to his feet. He held out a hand to the red ranger. "So… what's the next move?"

Jason grabbed on and pulled himself up. "Next move?"

"Yeah." Zack rest his hands on his hips. "Kim's pregnant, which means she can't fight anymore. We can't just have the pink ranger disappear with no explanation – that'll be suspicious. And we have to find somewhere safe for her and the baby to hide. The Command Center is the safest place, but we can't keep her cooped up here for the next few months."

The younger teen shot his friend a grateful smile. Zack was always able to put things in perspective for him. Hell, if Zack hadn't come after him, he'd probably still be punching that damn bag and wallowing in self-pity. His focus had been on his feelings about the baby and his role in the baby's conception, when instead it needed to be on how this situation would impact the team and the best way to protect their teammate.

He needed to be a leader right now.

"We'll think of something," Jason said, squaring his shoulders. "We always do."

* * *

 **Command Center**

 **Medical Bay**

 **Angel Grove, CA**

 **10:46 PM**

Kimberly sat on the bed with her legs crossed as she watched her friends talk to each other softly a few feet away. It was quiet save for their murmuring and the random beeps of the medical equipment.

She was feeling a lot better than when she first woke up. The sterile scent of the medical bay did wonders for her nausea, and she no longer felt dehydrated. The IV attached to her arm itched like hell, though.

"Don't scratch that," Trini scolded softly. "We can take it out in a bit, all right?"

The pink ranger nodded. "Sorry."

"It's okay." The yellow ranger sat down in the chair next to her. "Feeling any better?"

"Yeah." She picked at the sheets of her bed. "Aside from the obvious."

Trini watched her friend carefully. "How long have you known you were pregnant, Kim?"

The pink ranger started to deny knowing anything, but the stern glare from her best friend forced her to come clean. "About a month."

"A month?" the blue ranger asked horrified. "Kimberly, do you understand the danger you put not only the baby but yourself in by not telling anyone?"

"I know, I know," she murmured.

"You won't have the chance to do it anymore," Trini said. "You have to follow Zordon's orders, Kim. No active duty."

Kimberly blinked back tears. _'God, does Zordon know about the baby's paternity, too?'_

It wouldn't surprise her if he did. She could only imagine how disappointed he must be in her.

The doors to the medical bay opened, and a green blur rushed into the room. The pink ranger couldn't help but giggle when she realized it was Trip Regis. She'd only known the green Time Force ranger for a short amount of time, but she already adored him.

"Kimberly!" He grinned widely. "I wanted to find you and congratulate you in person!"

He pulled her into an exuberant hug. "Thanks, Trip."

Trip frowned at the tears in her eyes. "Why are you crying? A baby should be good news."

Trini placed a comforting hand on Trip's shoulders. "It is. She's just emotional is all."

This answer seemed to satisfy the Xybrian. He pulled up a chair. "Ah, this is so cool! A power ranger baby! I always thought Wes and Jen would be the first to have one… is Jason excited, too?"

Jason, God… she needed to talk to him. She needed to explain.

He wasn't stupid. He knew the baby wasn't his. Timing wise, it was believable – the baby was conceived around the time of their anniversary, when they were still dating. It wasn't a stretch to assume he was the father.

But while she and Jason did fool around quite a bit, Kim didn't have sex with him that night. She did, however, have sex with Tommy a few days later, and he most _certainly_ had not used any protection.

" _And here we are folks… the last play of the game."_

 _Kim bit her lip as she watched from the sidelines with the other cheerleaders._

" _Down! Set!" Tommy yelled. He looked around the field. "Black 38! Black 38!" The offensive line shifted around. "Hut! Hut! Hike!"_

 _At the snap, the ball was tossed back to Carlos Vallerte. The junior held the ball as Billy prepared to kick._

 _Right as the blue ranger rushed for the ball, he swerved at the last second for a fake out. Carlos took the ball and curled it into his chest, running to the far left end of the field. He passed the ball to Tommy who spun around searching the field with wild eyes._

" _And Vallerte passes to Oliver. It looks like Angel Grove is going for a two-point conversion, folks!"_

 _The green ranger dodged a near tackle and tossed the ball. A hush fell over the crowd as the ball spiraled down field._

" _Oliver passes to Taylor who's wide open… AND TAYLOR CATCHES THE BALL AT THE TWENTY YARD LINE!" the announcer yelled over the speakers. "HE TAKES IT TO THE TEN! THE FIVE! TOUCHDOWN ANGEL GROVE!"_

 _The audience cheered loudly at the play._

" _ANGEL GROVE WINS 43-42! WHAT A GAME!"_

 _Kim hooted when Zack took off his helmet and cheered. The black ranger did a celebratory dance as his teammates rushed him. He winced slightly when Bulk lifted him up into a tight hug._

" _Kim!" The pink ranger turned and squealed when she was scooped up into a tight hug by Trini. Behind the Vietnamese girl was Aisha Campbell, vice president of the student council. Kim, Trini, and Aisha became fast friends soon after the younger girl transferred from Stone Canyon in their sophomore year._

" _That was such a good game!" the yellow ranger said with excitement, cheeks flushed. "They did so well!"_

 _Kim nodded. "I figured they would, but they were awesome tonight." She shot Aisha a cheeky grin. "Looks like your boys couldn't cut it."_

 _Aisha rolled her eyes at the dig towards her former school. "Yeah, yeah."_

" _Ladies," a low voice rumbled from behind. "You all look lovely."_

 _A few feet away stood Jason, who was resting heavily on the gate._

 _The pink ranger grinned. "Thanks, Jason." She frowned when she saw him favoring his left leg. "They hit you pretty hard, huh?"_

 _Discomfort flashed on his face briefly. "Yeah," he said as he rubbed his thigh gingerly. "Coach is worried I might be out for the season." He rolled his eyes. "Mom's freaking out. She wants me to go straight to the hospital to get checked out."_

 _The girls gave each other knowing glances. They wholeheartedly agreed with his mother on this one._

 _Jason was benched near the end of the fourth quarter. He had managed to recover a fumble at a crucial moment in the game, preventing Stone Canyon from having another chance to score. TJ Johnson had tackled one of their wide receivers so hard, he dropped the ball, and Jason was able to make the dive and recover before it was too late. Unfortunately, that left him at the bottom of a huge pile up. By the time the other players had moved off of him, the damage to his leg was already done._

 _The pink ranger raised an eyebrow when she saw a large crowd of students heading out of the back gate. They were chanting something but she was too far away to make out the words._

" _Where are they headed?"_

" _Johansson's throwing a party. He said if we won the homecoming game, he'd throw a party at his parents' lake house to celebrate." Jason shook his head at the blond boy leading the group. "Looks like he's making good on his promise."_

 _Kim nibbled on her bottom lip. Douglas threw awesome parties, and she could use some fun tonight._

" _Hey." She turned to face her boyfriend. "Go on. I can tell you wanna go, Kim."_

" _You sure?" she asked uncertainly._

" _Yeah." He sighed when he saw the assistant coach ride over in a golf cart. "I'm in for a long night in the emergency room. You all should definitely go to the party. I'll be fine."_

 _And he really would be. They'd all received far worse injuries from their ranger duties – this was nothing in comparison._

 _Kimberly clapped excitedly and brushed a kiss against his cheek. "I'll stop by tomorrow!" she yelled as she dragged Aisha and Trini behind her to the parking lot._

 _By the time the pink ranger arrived to the party, it was well underway. She had stopped by her house to change out of her cheerleading uniform and touchup her makeup, now wearing a dark denim skirt and black off-the-shoulder crop top. She walked up the steps and rang the doorbell, stepping back when an overexuberant Douglas Johansson opened the door to greet her._

 _The music from inside reached her ears._ "California, knows how to party…"

" _Kimberly!" he said a little too loudly, face flushed. She stiffened slightly when he gave her a sideways hug. "Now the party can really get started – get in here, girl!"_

 _She walked past him into the house, allowing him to take her purse and hang it up in the coat closet. 2Pac's "California Love" was blasting from the speakers, the sound nearly deafening as she walked into the dark living room. She could barely make out the faces surrounding her, only able to really tell who was who when a person was directly in front of her._

" _Kim!" The pink ranger jumped when she was hugged from behind by Zack. "Come dance with me!"_

 _Kim could only follow as the black ranger pulled her into the middle of the crowd. The two held hands as they danced together for a few songs, giggling softly as they twirled one another around. At one point, Zack dipped her, causing Kim to laugh outright in delight. She held her hand up and allowed the black ranger to spin her once more, though this time Zack actually let her go. Kim grinned when she saw what caught her friend's attention. It was Angela, who was wearing the tightest dress the pink ranger had ever seen. She watched happily as he asked the girl to dance and pulled her closer to him._

" _Hey, Kim."_

 _She groaned softly at the voice in her ear and turned. "Skull," she said with a strained smile._

 _He grinned down at her, smacking his gum obnoxiously. "I see Jason isn't here… too bad." He popped his collar with a smirk. "Guess that means me and you can finally have that dance, huh?"_

 _Kimberly tried not to vomit. "Erm…well…"_

" _Sorry, Skull, I need her for a moment."_

 _The pink ranger shot Aisha a grateful smile at the interruption, locking arms with the younger girl. The two headed for the den, bursting into giggles once they were out of Skull's line of sight._

" _Thanks for the save."_

" _Anytime," Aisha said with a wink._

 _The girls turned at sudden shouting a few feet away from them. A small group was huddled around the large television. From what Kim could tell, they were playing Mortal Kombat – she'd seen Jason and Zack playing it enough times to recognize the game almost immediately._

" _Dude! Dude! Do the combo!" Curtis Taylor, Zack's cousin, yelled. He rest his hands on Adam's shoulders. "Come on, man, kick his ass!"_

 _Next to Adam sat Bulk, whose tongue was sticking out of the corner of his mouth in concentration._

" _You got this, Bulkie!" Sarah Jones, a member of his punk crew, yelled. "Don't let that goody two shoes show you up!"_

" _Is it really that serious?" Aisha asked. She stared at the other kids incredulously._

" _Apparently. Jason and Zack act the same way whenever they play." Kim combed her fingers through her hair. "I'm gonna grab a drink. You want something?"_

" _Nah, I'm good."_

 _The pink ranger made her way to the kitchen, nodding along to the beat of Montell Jordan's "This Is How We Do It" playing from the speakers. She waved and smiled at those she recognized along the way, stopping occasionally to make small talk. When she had almost reached the kitchen, a muscled arm reached out, grabbing her wrist and pulling her into a dark corner._

 _She knew from his touch alone who it was._

 _The pink ranger ripped her arm away from him. "Creepy much?"_

" _Were you seriously gonna try and avoid me the whole night?"_

 _Kim shivered at his husky tone. "Tommy…"_

 _She inhaled sharply when familiar fingers trailed along her sides._

" _Stop," she hissed. "Anyone can see us."_

" _I don't care," he said, voice gruff. "I wanna talk to you."_

 _She looked away from him, needing to collect her thoughts. Things had been strained between them for the past few days._

 _The green ranger had invited her over Tuesday night to watch his favorite martial arts film, Enter the Dragon. Martial arts movies weren't really Kim's thing, but she could tell he really wanted her to be there. After the movie, Tommy asked if she could come over Wednesday and spend the night. It was a big step for them as up until now, they'd only been fooling around and then parting ways. Spending the night meant sleeping together, something she was surprised to learn he was even open to. The conversations in the girls' locker room made it seem like he wasn't into that sort of thing._

 _Reluctantly, she had declined his offer, informing him that she had other plans and couldn't cancel them. When he pushed on what could be so important, she explained that her and Jason's anniversary was the next day, and they planned to celebrate that evening._

 _Naturally, that didn't go over well with the green ranger at all._

 _The argument that ensued was one for the books, ending with her teleporting home in a rage. Since that night, the only time she'd spoken to the green ranger was on the battlefield._

" _I'm not doing this here," she whispered._

" _Kim…"_

" _Go outside and wait for me."_

 _He clenched his jaw. "Fine. Meet me at my truck on the side of the house."_

" _Okay."_

 _He bent down in an attempt to kiss her. Kim ducked before his lips could make contact and scurried off to the kitchen. She knew without even looking back that he was pissed._

 _The pink ranger grabbed a diet coke from the cooler and headed back to the den. Trini was sitting next to Aisha on the loveseat, and Billy was sitting on the armrest._

" _Hey, Kim. We were just telling Billy how great he was in tonight's game."_

 _Kim bumped the blue ranger's shoulder and grinned. "Was there any doubt? No one's better than Billy."_

 _His ears burned red from the compliment. It wasn't an exaggeration – the blue ranger was in fact the best kicker Angel Grove High had ever had._

" _So, any plans this weekend?"_

 _The four teens chatted, agreeing to catch the new movie Sleepers that had just come out. Billy and Trini wanted to see it because it looked interesting. Kim and Aisha were in it more for the opportunity to see Brad Pitt on the big screen._

 _The last chords of No Doubt's "Spiderwebs" faded out, and "Hey Lover" by LL Cool J began to play. Kim and the others grew silent when Rocky DeSantos approached them._

" _Hey guys," he said nervously. His gaze shifted to Aisha. "Aisha, would you like to dance?"_

 _The pink ranger snickered into her drink when she felt her friend tense up beside her. Aisha talked a good game when it came to guys and relationships, but the girl was a fish out of water when it came to Rocky._

" _S-Sure, I'd love to."_

 _Kim smiled as Aisha and Rocky headed out to the living room hand-in-hand. It was a slow song, and the pink ranger snickered knowing the mild panic attack Aisha must be having right now._

" _They're so cute," she whispered. Trini nodded in agreement._

" _I concur. They do make quite the attractive couple," Billy said._

"I gotta take ya from your man, that's my mission. If his love is real he's gotta handle competition…"

 _The pink ranger groaned. The lyrics instantly reminded her of the green ranger, who was probably pouting in his truck like a child right now because she wasn't there yet._

" _Guys, I'm gonna head out for a bit," she said standing up. "I'll catch ya later."_

 _They murmured their goodbyes as she walked away. She headed out to the patio, the heat from the nearby bonfire hitting her. Kim walked past her classmates to the side of the house where the cars were parked and sighed. The area was empty save for a few people making out in their cars, and Tommy, who was leaning against the passenger door of his truck facing the woods._

 _Now in the moonlight, she could see he was wearing dark jeans and his blue and gold varsity jacket, a black tank top underneath. His hair was loose now instead of the strict ponytail he wore during the game._

" _You sure took your time," he said sarcastically._

" _Did you expect me to stop what I was doing just because you wanted to talk?" she sneered. "I was with my friends."_

" _Hm."_

 _She crossed her arms over her chest. "Well… I'm waiting…."_

 _The green ranger kicked at the ground. "So… about the other night… there's a chance I may have overreacted…"_

" _May have?"_

 _He rolled his eyes. "Fine, I definitely overreacted, but you were in the wrong, too."_

 _She narrowed her eyes. "Rule number one about apologizing? You don't blame the other person…"_

" _You know how I feel about you being with him. Just thinking about it makes my blood boil." He scowled. "I don't like sharing what's mine."_

 _A small thrill ran through the pink ranger at his words, though it was overshadowed by her annoyance at the notion that she belonged to anyone._

" _I'm not yours or his," she corrected. "But if it bothers you so much that he's my boyfriend, there's an easy solution."_

" _Kill him?"_

 _"No." She glared. "We end this… for good."_

 _Even saying the words, she knew he wouldn't go for it. Things between them had already progressed well past the point of no return, and Tommy was clear he wasn't ready to stop. And even though she knew it would make her life a lot simpler, she wasn't sure she was ready to either._

 _The green ranger scoffed. "Please… as if you could really give this up."_

" _It's just sex, Tommy. Besides, I know Jason's more than willing to take care of that for me."_

 _His eyes flashed green. "Which is why I'm the one fucking you instead of him, right?"_

 _Her heart beat faster at his crass words. "Whatever. We done here?"_

" _Depends." He reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her closer to him. "We good?"_

" _Sure," she said dismissively. She inhaled sharply when he pulled her flush against him._

" _You're lying," he whispered. "I can see it in your face you're still upset."_

" _Maybe because that was a shit apology." She stepped back from him. "As a matter of fact, you didn't even apologize. How am I supposed to feel?"_

 _Tommy tugged her back into his arms. His hands made their way down her sides to the hem of her skirt, reaching beneath to cup her ass and squeeze._

 _She pushed back from him. "Are you crazy?" she asked, checking around to see if anyone saw them. Thankfully, no one was in the immediate area._

" _No, I'm horny." He pulled her into him again and secured his arms around her waist._

" _That sounds like a personal problem," she quipped. "You have hands – use them."_

 _This time when she tried to pull away, she couldn't break his hold._

" _Let go of me."_

" _For the love of…" He rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Kimberly."_

 _Kimberly was not prepared for the kiss that he gave her. It wasn't so much the fact that he kissed her as it was the way that he did. He was devouring her mouth, tongue curling so erotically around hers that it caused her toes to curl in her shoes._

" _Fuck," he whispered as he broke the kiss, hands sliding beneath her skirt. She shivered when familiar fingers danced over her folds through her panties. She felt him tug hard to the side and then felt cool air on her heated sex._

" _Tommy," she gasped around a moan, back arching when he found her clit._

 _He spun them around, now pressing her up against the truck. He wedged his body between her legs and lifted her thighs so that they were held in the crooks of his arms._

 _She gasped into his mouth when he pressed two fingers gently to her entrance. Her eyes fluttered closed and her head rolled back against the truck when he pushed them all the way in. He pinched and rolled her clit between deft fingers with his other hand, relentless in the way he worked her body. Kimberly couldn't help the soft little moans that escaped each time he thrust his fingers deep into her._

" _Remember… it's not Jason you're begging to fuck you," he whispered in her ear. "It's me."_

 _The pink ranger whimpered and braced herself against his chest as her climax built up to a crescendo. She dug her nails into his wrist when he kept up the stimulation, pulling a soft cry from her when she came on his fingers._

" _Shh," he murmured in her ear, still fingering her. "Not so loud."_

 _Kim shuddered when he wouldn't stop and pushed his hand from between her thighs. He grinned, sucking his fingers into his mouth with a moan._

" _What is wrong with you?" she snapped as she stood on unsteady legs._

" _Please, it's not like you were complaining." Tommy reached into his back pocket and pulled out his key, unlocking the door. "Get in."_

" _Excuse me?"_

" _Backseat," he repeated, moving her out of the way and opening the door. "Get in."_

" _To do what?"_

 _He raised an eyebrow. "You really need me to spell it out for you?"_

 _Her eyes flashed with surprise. "Tommy!"_

 _The green ranger lifted her by the waist and sat her in the back of the truck._

" _Didn't I tell you to shut up?" he asked before kissing her hard. He climbed on top of her, tongue dueling with hers as they made out in the backseat of his truck._

 _The pink ranger pushed him away from her and slapped him. "I'm not – mmph!"_

 _He kissed her again, effectively shutting her up. One arm was wrapped around her back while the other slid beneath her shirt, grabbing her breasts and teasing the nipples._

 _He kissed her hard again and she pulled away. "What the hell are you doing?" she hissed against his lips._

" _Fucking you," he whispered, sucking her bottom lip into his mouth. "So stop fighting me."_

 _Kim pushed him away again, and the two engaged in a struggle. She scratched and pushed at his shoulders when he shoved her shirt up, lifting the cup of her bra to tug a hardened nipple into his mouth. He rubbed at her tender sex eagerly, seeking out her clit and flicking it._

" _Tommy," she moaned. Her fingers curled in his hair as he slid down her body. He slipped his hands up her thighs, shoving her skirt up high and pulling her panties down her legs and onto the ground. He spread her legs wider to reveal her glistening sex._

 _Kim yelped when he lifted her legs up, one over his shoulder and the other on top of the armrest. The green ranger kept her pinned her against the backseat with his hands and leaned down, lips and tongue dipping between her folds hungrily._

" _Oh…oh fuuuuck," she breathed out, head rolling against the seat._

 _Kimberly bit her bottom lip hard as she rolled her hips against his mouth, wantonly begging him not to stop. Her moans increased steadily as he brought her closer to the edge, and she nearly whined in frustration when he stopped without warning._

 _She tensed when she heard rustling of a belt buckle followed by the thump of something heavy hitting the ground. Strong hands grabbed her hips and pulled her across the seat until her legs were outside of the truck. He guided her to rest on her front, her feet now brushing the ground and her hands braced on the seat. She arched her back and moaned high in her throat when he slid into her, groaning from how deep he was. Tommy pressed a hand against her back so that her ass was in the air._

 _The green ranger smirked at the frantic way she dug her nails into the cushions each time he pushed into her. She rolled her hips against his hard, whimpering loudly each time he slid in to the hilt. His grunts and groans turned her on immensely, and the sharp slap from his hand against the swell of her cheeks made her legs quiver._

" _Shit, you're tight." He squeezed her hips. "You're gonna cum for me?"_

" _Yes," she moaned as she scratched at the seat. She was still on edge from earlier – she could already feel the familiar pressure in the pit of her stomach._

 _He squeezed her hips. "You forgive me now?"_

 _She nodded desperately, a shrill cry ripping from her throat when he smacked her ass again._

 _He pumped his hips faster. "Say it!"_

" _Yes! Yes! Fuck, Tommy!"_

" _They're gonna hear you…" he teased._

 _The green ranger grabbed her hips and fucked her harder, holding her in place so she could feel every inch of him on each stroke._

 _She whimpered. "Ohmygod... Tommy… AH!"_

 _Kimberly buried her face into the seat and screamed. She reached out a hand and braced it against the door, her walls squeezing him tight._

" _Tommy! TOMMY! Ohmygod…" she cried out ecstasy into the cushion as she came hard on his cock._

 _She heard him chuckle softly behind her. He gave measured thrusts as she worked herself on his cock, calloused hands rubbing her lower back and ass soothingly. The pink ranger gasped when he roughly yanked her back against him, his hands gripping her waist tight as he began thrusting faster._

" _God, you're so wet." He adjusted his hold so that his hands were braced against her upper back. Tommy let out a deep moan, hips moving at a furious pace as he pounded into her with wild abandon, rocking the truck on its wheels. The force of his strokes produced a loud, wet slap each time their hips connected._

" _Tommy, fuck!" She scooted away from him, the pressure between her thighs too intense._

 _He gripped her waist and pulled her back towards him. "Stay still."_

 _The green ranger held onto her by her thighs and resumed his previous pace, balls smacking against her ass hard._

" _Ohmygod," he moaned when her walls tightened around him again. His chest swelled from the way she shook and jerked beneath him. "Your pussy feels so fucking good..."_

 _Kim groaned and reached back a trembling hand._

" _Wait…wait fuck." She pushed at his stomach to get him to slow down. "Okay, okay… Tommy, stop…"_

 _The green ranger really didn't want to stop – the sensation around his cock felt too damn good – but he eventually slowed to a complete stop._

" _What is it?" he asked, chest heaving. "Am I hurting you?"_

" _No, I just…I need a minute," she panted. Her thighs were still quivering from back-to-back orgasms._

 _He reluctantly pulled out of her and stepped back, forearms resting on the roof of his truck. His cock was slick from being inside of her. His erection stood out almost comically from his waist – swollen and hard and in desperate need of release._

" _Scoot over." Kimberly shifted over to make room for him beside her. He bent down and pulled up his jeans, stuffing her discarded panties in the front pocket in the process._

 _The green ranger climbed in next to her and closed the door. He cracked the window slightly before turning towards her and running his fingers through her hair._

" _You good?"_

 _At her nod, he grabbed her by the waist and sat her on his lap. The green ranger placed a hand on her back, pushing her forward until her face was against the seat._

 _Kim could see out of the front window from her perch on his lap. Many of their classmates were crowded around the bonfire, while others were playing in the lake. She'd been so caught up in what they were doing that she forgot how much of a terrible idea this was._

 _He nudged her so that she would lift her ass up, and he lined himself up with her entrance. She hissed when he pulled her down onto him. Tommy bit his lip when he was in all the way and playfully slapped her ass. Somehow, she felt even tighter than before._

" _Tommy…" Panic began to settle in at the thought of getting caught in the act by their classmates._

" _Hush," he panted, her skirt bunched up in his hand at the waist. "Let me fuck you."_

 _The green ranger gave a few tentative thrusts before setting a fast pace, delirious from the way her pussy gripped him in this new position. Kimberly buried her face into the headrest and cried out in pleasure, eyes shut tight. Tommy lifted his shirt up slightly so he could see his cock slide into her while she wore that damn skirt, and the sight of his cock bathed in her creamy essence turned him on even more._

 _Kim whined softly each time the tip of his cock brushed against that spot, legs quivering from the stimulation. Fuck, it felt so good. She bit her lip as she rocked her hips back to meet his thrusts._

" _There we go," he encouraged. "Ride me just like that … fuck you're so good…"_

 _She rolled her head back and sighed when he reached around to play with her breasts, tugging the nipples until they were hard. She hissed when he grabbed her hair, pulling her back towards him in order to press hot kisses along her neck._

 _Rough hands trailed down to her waist and held on tight, grip almost bruising as the green ranger began to pound up into her. She tried her best to quell her moaning, though the she couldn't help some of the shrill cries that escaped._

 _The green ranger spread his thighs wider to pump harder into her, rocking the truck hard. He grabbed her hips and pulled her towards him a bit, and the shift in angle caused her to scream. He kept thrusting at the same angle, and each time, she dug her nails into the seat and cried out, shivering slightly._

 _Tommy chuckled when he saw her start to curl into herself as if to get away from him._

" _Come here," he ordered, tugging on her waist until she was flush against him. "Stay right there."_

 _The warm sensation in the pit of Kim's stomach grew more intense each time he slid inside her. She tensed up when she suddenly felt the urge to pee, now familiar with what that sensation was. She yelped when he arched beneath her, pressing the tip of his cock right against that damn spot and increasing the speed of his thrusts. The pink ranger cried out when he did it again and again, now aware that he was doing it on purpose._

" _Stop." Kim reached back and pushed at his chest. "Don't – fuck…"_

 _She knew it turned him on whenever he was able to get her to cum like that, but she always felt embarrassed when it happened. There was no doubt it felt amazing, but it was still something she wasn't entirely comfortable with._

" _Tommy… ah!"_

 _The green ranger grabbed her arms and held them behind her, forcing her to arch her back. Kimberly bit her lip hard, trembling from the pleasure coursing through her. Their coupling grew wetter and louder with each passing second, the cabin now filled with the wet suction of him sliding balls deep inside of her._

 _Tommy straightened up a bit in the seat and spread his thighs as wide as possible, pumping his hips hard enough so that Kim was bouncing on his cock._

" _Gonna cum," he moaned, arching against her. "Shityoufeelsogood…"_

 _Kimberly trembled in his hold until she suddenly shrieked, her climax finally hitting her as tremors rocked her petite frame._

" _Ohmygod…ohmygod... o-oh fuck, Tommy, I'm cumming," she sobbed into the headrest, body trembling as he continued to thrust deep into her contracting sex. "Ohmygod… wait shit… please… pleaseplease… fuck…"_

 _Tommy quickly wrapped an arm around her waist and held her down against his lap, eyes fluttering in ecstasy as she came all over him and the seat. He ignored the frantic way she bucked against him, too overcome by the wet heat around his swelling cock. The green ranger buried his face into her back._

" _Ungh…" He grunted when his release was suddenly wrenched from him, his hips rolling against hers as he pumped his seed deep into her pussy._

 _Kimberly felt it when he came deep inside her, the sensation making her feel warm all over her. She sighed and leaned back against him, fingers tangling in his long hair. He shifted beneath her, kicking his jeans and boxers off and moving so that his legs were now between her thighs._

" _Damn, that was good…" he breathed into her neck._

 _She nodded, chest heaving slightly as she fought to catch her breath. Tommy pressed sloppy kissed along her shoulders. He cupped her breasts in his hand and tugged at her nipples, teasing the hardened buds._

 _Her breath hitched when a hand trailed down to the apex of her thighs to play with the damp curls there. She grabbed his wrist._

" _No."_

 _Kim bit her lip at the hand playing special attention to her sensitive nipples. Tommy tweaked and tugged the bud with precision. She groaned and leaned back into him when his middle finger connected with her clit, rolling the swollen nub in firm circles. She dug her nails into his wrist._

" _We shouldn't…" she said softly._

 _He pressed a kiss to her neck. "Five minutes," he said, already taking shallow thrusts into her snug depths. "Just give me five more minutes."_

 _The pink ranger nodded absently, too distracted by the pressure building between her thighs. "Okay…"_

 _Twenty minutes later, the green ranger emerged from his truck on shaky legs. He tucked himself back into his boxers and buttoned up his jeans. He reached back inside the truck for his belt and varsity jacket, putting them on with a smirk._

" _The coast is clear," he told her._

 _Kimberly exited the truck on the other side. She straightened her clothes and hair as best she could. Her legs felt like jelly._

" _How do I look?" she asked._

" _Like you've been fucked_ real _good."_

 _She rolled her eyes. It was times like this that she remembered how much she hated him._

" _Wait a few minutes before you go back in the house," she said. "I don't – "_

" _Want anyone to know. I got it, Kim," he said irritably. The green ranger reached into his pocket and pulled out her panties. "You want these?"_

" _Yes," she snapped. Kim moved to his side of the truck and tried to grab them from him. Being the dick that he was, he held them up high over his head._

" _You can get it for a kiss."_

 _Kim scowled and punched him in the stomach hard, knocking the wind out of him. She grabbed her underwear and walked off._

" _Asshole," she muttered._

" _You still like it," he called out after her._

 _Kimberly made her way back inside the lake house and headed for the nearest bathroom. Mercifully, the downstairs bathroom was open, and she was able to clean herself up and put her underwear back on._

 _She winced when she got a good look at herself in the mirror. Her skin was flushed pink, her hair was a little wild, and her lips were plump and swollen. There were marks along her waist from where he held her, though her skirt was able to cover most of it. She also found she had to force herself to walk normally, because between her sensitive sex and the bruises around her hips, walking with a normal gait was proving quite difficult._

" _Fucking Tommy," she mumbled as she fixed her hair. When she deemed herself presentable, Kimberly exited the bathroom and headed back to the party._

 _She found Billy and the others, skillfully dodging their questions concerning her whereabouts with a quick lie. She listened intently as Trini told her what happened between Aisha and Rocky after she left, though her attention was diverted when she caught sight of the green ranger on the other side of the room._

 _He was standing in the doorway of the kitchen talking to Douglas Johansson and a few other guys from the football team. As if he could feel her watching him, he turned his gaze to her and grinned, sending a kiss and a wink in her direction._

" _Kim?"_

 _The pink ranger blinked and turned to Trini who was eyeing her curiously. "Everything okay?"_

" _Yeah," she said, forcing herself to ignore the green ranger on the other side of the room. She plastered a smile on her face._

" _Everything is fine."_

The pink ranger forced a smile on her face as she looked at Trip. "Y-Yeah, Jason's beside himself."

Trip grabbed her hands and squeezed. "Aw, Kim! I'm just happy for both of you! You'll make great parents."

"Yeah." The thought of her and Jason being parents made her feel uneasy.

"Trip," Trini interrupted. "We should probably give Kim some space. She's still recovering, remember?"

Trip looked sheepishly at the yellow ranger. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking." He turned to Kim. "Of course, you need your rest. I just got so excited and – "

The pink ranger smiled, this time genuinely. "It's okay, Trip. Really."

Trini rubbed his shoulders. "How about you come with me to grab her something to eat? She hasn't had a proper meal in a while, and I know she and the baby would appreciate it."

"Sure." Trip stood up and gave Kim another quick hug. "Sit tight, Kim. We'll be back with something delicious."

As the two of them headed out of the Medical Bay, the yellow ranger turned around to give Kim an encouraging smile.

"Thank you," Kim mouthed to her friend. Trini nodded and winked before turning back around and engaging Trip in conversation.

The pink ranger placed her head in her hands and exhaled. She knew Trip meant well – the man didn't have a single bad bone in his body – but his enthusiasm was making her feel claustrophobic.

"Here."

She looked up to see a small cup of water and some Tylenol held out to her.

"For the nausea," Billy offered.

"Thanks," she whispered.

The blue ranger watched her carefully as she took the medicine. "Kimberly…"

"Yeah, Billy?"

"As you know, I am not as adept as you or the others when it comes to social situations, so certain interactions that seem second nature to you are quite foreign to – "

The pink ranger chuckled. "Billy, just spit it out."

"Why did Jason claim paternity of your baby when all signs indicate that to be false?" He pushed his glasses up nervously. "In fact, there is no doubt this child's father is Tommy."

"I don't know, Billy. You'd have to ask Jason." She narrowed her eyes. "Wait, what do you mean there's no doubt Tommy's the father?"

Billy turned to the computer and pulled up her bioscan. "The scan revealed traces of energy in your abdomen where the fetus is. It's the same energy signature of the green ranger."

Kim looked at her friend in alarm. "What does that mean?"

The blue ranger furrowed his brow. "Without extensive tests, I can't be sure… but I believe it's a fair assumption your baby might have ties to the morphing grid." He scratched his chin in thought. "The green ranger's powers work differently than ours. We access the grid through our coins. He's able to actually channel its energy through his body, as if he's the anchor point, instead of his coin. It's possible that during conception his…" The blond flushed red. "… _genetic material_ may have been infused with that same power."

"So my baby might have superpowers." The pink ranger pressed her hands to her face and groaned. "This is bad… this is _really_ bad."

"We don't know for certain, Kimberly."

"How often are you wrong?"

The blue ranger sighed. "Very rarely."

"Exactly." She ran her fingers through her hair. "Billy, I hate asking you this, but I need you to keep this between us for now."

"Kimberly… if I'm right, they'll find out eventually if this power manifests itself in the – "

"Then we wait until then," she said. "There is no way telling the others about this now will end well – _you know that_." Revealing her baby might have powers meant telling everyone Tommy was the father instead of Jason. She knew her teammates would keep the secret to ensure her safety, but would the others?

She grabbed his hands. "Billy, I am _begging_ you, please don't tell anyone."

He stared at their hands for a long time before turning his over and cupping hers gently.

"I promise."

* * *

 **Angel Grove Park**

 **The Lake**

 **Angel Grove, CA**

 **Wednesday, 3:49 PM**

Kimberly sighed from her perch on the large rock as she looked out at the lake.

' _Better take it all in. Won't be able to do this for a while.'_

She grabbed a pebble from nearby and tossed it into the water halfheartedly. Kim checked her watched. Her teammates left for Kenya a few hours ago – they should have at least reached the Sahara Desert by now.

They couldn't be sure, but Nairobi appeared to be the next place Zedd would attack. If all went according to plan, the rangers should be able to convince Rygog and his soldiers that they successfully took out the pink ranger. That would put her and the baby in the clear.

But it also meant that her days of freedom would soon be over.

In order to convincingly be "dead", Kim would have to go into hiding somewhere they wouldn't expect to find her. Jason offered his uncle's cabin in Stone Canyon, a move that genuinely surprised her given the memories they shared there. Overlooking the awkwardness of living in the home where they lost their virginity to each other, she could admit it was the best option available. It was in a secluded area but close enough to a hospital in case something happened with the baby. Billy was already hard at work creating a low-energy portal to the Command Center so that she didn't have to use her powers to teleport and possibly endanger the baby.

Kim sighed and tossed another pebble into the lake. She supposed things could be worse. The isolation wasn't ideal, but it did keep her relatively close to both Angel Grove and the Command Center. It also didn't hurt that the surrounding area was absolutely gorgeous.

' _But still… it's not home,'_ she thought sadly.

Kimberly checked her watch again. They'd be calling her sometime today to let her know when the mission was over. She needed to get a move on if she wanted to make her rounds before she officially "died". She'd already stopped by the high school, Aisha's house, and the Youth Center.

That just left seeing her family.

Despite their estrangement, she wanted to see her dad; although, the prospect of running into his wife made her want to reconsider.

' _You might never see him again, Kim,'_ the pink ranger scolded herself. _'Plus, can you really still give him shit about the divorce considering everything you've done recently?'_ She winced. _'You need to say goodbye.'_

She knew it was the right thing to do to go see her father, but she still wasn't quite ready for that reunion. Maybe she could stop by her house first. Her mom should be home since Kenny was in town for winter break – having both of them there would make saying goodbye a little easier on her.

' _I should grab my stuff from my room,'_ she thought to herself, mentally making a checklist as she wandered through the park.

The cabin was nice but bare. She'd need to add her own touches to it to really make it feel like home.

' _Mom. Dad. Kenny. Aisha. Ernie…'_ She scowled when the green ranger suddenly came to mind.

' _Tommy.'_

As far as she was concerned, that asshole said his goodbyes when he left for KAX. Just the thought of him and the last argument they had was enough to piss her off.

' _Well, if you hate him so much, why are you planning to leave your information so he can find you?'_

She frowned at that thought and reached into her pocket, pulling out a slip of paper.

SCML East 24.

It'd probably take him a while, but Tommy would be able to figure out the meaning. He'd been to the Stone Canyon Mountain Lodge plenty of times with Jason and his own family. He'd understand the message.

She was sure of it.

' _And that's really what you want?'_

The pink ranger rolled her eyes, annoyed with herself. What was she even thinking? This was her chance to finally cut all ties with that asshole. With any luck, he'd hear that she was killed in Nairobi and forget about her. She could raise her child in peace, away from him and his bullshit, just like she wanted.

Right?

Further up the sidewalk, she saw a man and woman walking together with a little girl between them, one of their hands in each of hers. The child looked to be no more than three-years-old and had long, curly brown hair. She laughed as she swung their hands back and forth, the sound infectious as it rang out.

The sight melted Kimberly's heart, and she couldn't help but wonder what she and Tommy would look like with their own child.

"You're a fucking idiot, Kimberly," she told herself. "You know you could never have that. Why would you even _want_ that with _him_?"

Still, that didn't stop her from pushing the large rock over and shoving the paper into the dirt, burying it a bit. She then moved the rock back in place.

"I already regret this," she whispered, rising to her feet.

' _Whatever. He's probably not even going to check for any messages anyway,'_ she thought bitterly. _'I'm sure he's living it up in space right now. Dickhead.'_

Kim honestly wasn't sure what got to her more – knowing that she was probably right about him or how badly she wanted to be wrong.

"Forget your stupid daddy. You're all I need right now," she whispered to her unborn child. The pink ranger placed her hands on her stomach, smiling softly at the thought of the life growing inside of her.

"Come on. Let's go visit grandma and your uncle."


	6. Chapter 6, Part I

_**Author's Note:** Two chapters in two days - what on Earth is going on? Will there be a third? Hmm..._

 _This chapter takes a look at what Kim was up to after the Siege of Washington, D.C. ended. Thought it'd be nice to take a look at things from her POV._

 _Thanks again to my beta, Bellarose20, for the help in editing this one. Hope y'all like it, and as always, feedback is greatly appreciated!_

* * *

 **Angel Grove Desert**

 **Command Center**

 **Angel Grove, CA**

 **Tuesday, 09:13 PM**

"AND YOU'RE SURE ABOUT THIS, KIMBERLY?"

The pink ranger looked up tearfully at the person she considered a second father.

"Yes, Zordon. I don't want to leave my friends and family, especially at a time like this… but I can't stay here anymore."

The past few days had been a whirlwind for Kimberly. From learning the truth about Jason abandoning Tommy to the green ranger putting one of her best friends into a coma, she had taken just about all she thought she could handle.

And then Tommy visited her a few days after the Siege of Washington D.C., and she'd finally snapped.

The Eltarian gave a rare smile, albeit sad. "VERY WELL. YOUR MORPHER WILL NEED TO REMAIN HERE IN THE EVENT THAT WE NEED TO USE THE PINK RANGER POWERS."

"I understand."

"GOOD LUCK, KIMBERLY, AND MAY THE POWER PROTECT YOU."

She sniffed and wiped at her face.

"Ay yi yi yi yi," Alpha 5 cried, rocking back and forth. "I hate goodbyes. They always overload my circuits."

She chuckled and wrapped her arms around the robot as best she could with her swollen belly. "I'll miss you, too, Alpha."

Kimberly turned around to face the crowd of people watching her. Her team minus Zack, the Time Force rangers, several dozen Time Force officers, the Aquitian rangers, the S.P.D. A-Squad rangers, Galaxy rangers, and the Lightspeed Rescue rangers all stood together as she prepared to say her goodbyes.

She addressed those not on her team first. "I just want to thank you all for stepping in to support us during this war. I know you all have other responsibilities and your own families that need you… It means a lot that you're here."

Jen stepped forward and rest a hand on her predecessor's shoulder. "Where else would we be? Your future is our future. We wouldn't let you take this on by yourselves when we're more than capable of helping."

She lowered her voice. "You leave the rest to us and focus on taking care of that beautiful baby."

Kimberly gave a watery smile. "Thank you."

Jen nodded and squeezed her shoulder. The others moved forward, each giving her a hug and murmuring words of encouragement for her and the baby. Trip gave her a particularly boisterous hug, causing Kimberly to laugh and break the somber mood.

"I'm really gonna miss you, Trip," she told the Xybrian. He grinned and wiped his eyes, releasing her to stand back with his teammates.

Kim turned next to her team, a lump in her throat.

Billy approached first with a bag in hand. "Everything you'll need on KO-35 should be in here."

She grabbed the bag and looked inside. "What is all this?"

"I made some devices you'll find useful. Alpha 5 and Circuit assisted, of course." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and reached inside the bag, pulling out a pretty silver necklace with a blue pendant.

"A translator necklace that should be able to interpret the most prevalent languages spoken on KO-35 into English. It will also translate your words into the language it has detected to allow you to communicate with others." He grabbed another device that looked like a pair of earrings. "Psionic transmission blockers to prevent those gifted with telepathy from reading your thoughts." He retrieved her wrist communicator next. "I've also taken the liberty of modifying your communicator. Unfortunately, the distance is too far to maintain a stable link to the morphing grid to allow teleportation without your morpher, but you should still be able to send and receive transmissions should you desire to communicate with us." He pointed at a bulky item in the bag. "And of course, a Polaroid camera – for pictures of the baby when he arrives."

Kimberly held the bag to her chest and smiled gratefully at her friend. "Thank you, Billy."

He nodded and pulled her into a tight hug. "I will miss you dearly, Kimberly," he whispered.

She pulled back and faced Trini next. The two immediately burst into tears and hugged fiercely.

"We're being ridiculous," Trini said softly. "It's not like we'll never see you again."

Kim clutched her friend tighter. "I know." She sniffled. "I'm scared, Tri. I know I need to do this, but…"

The yellow ranger released her friend and cupped her face. "Do you think this is the best thing for you and the baby?"

Kim nodded.

Trini smiled. "Then there's nothing to be scared of." She grabbed Kim's hands. "You're going somewhere that will allow you to focus on what's most important – raising your son. Andros and Zhane said their friends are more than happy to help you once you get there – you just have to trust that everything will be okay."

Kimberly's face crumpled up, and she hugged the yellow ranger again. "I'm gonna call you every week, so you better be ready to talk."

Trini chuckled and ran a hand down the back of Kimberly's head. "Of course."

The two parted, leaving Jason as the last person for her to say goodbye to. The red ranger approached her slowly.

"You don't have to leave," he said, voice low.

"I think it might be the best thing for everyone if I do."

Jason clenched his jaw, finding it difficult to argue with her. He still cared a great deal for Kimberly, but he couldn't deny the relief he felt when he learned she was planning to leave. He'd been tired of the tension that lingered since they'd broken up, and he was looking forward to being able to work without that looming over him.

For her part, Kimberly was looking forward to not being anywhere near the red ranger. Their last conversation had gone quite poorly, and distance was probably the best way to salvage what they had left between them.

 _Kim sat quietly by Zack's side, tears streaming down her face. His larger hand rest between hers as he lay comatose on the medical bed. The rise and fall of his chest provided little in the way of comfort, but it helped to at least know he was still alive._

 _She turned when she heard footsteps, crestfallen to see Andros and Jason headed her way. Andros' hair was loose and sticking to his face, and he walked with a slight limp as if hurt. Jason's shirt was ripped to pieces, and he had smudges of dirt all over his body along with several bruises._

 _If they were back then that meant that the battle in Washington D.C. was over._

 _They'd lost._

 _The space ranger placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. "Has there been any change?"_

 _She exhaled shakily. "No."_

 _Jason sat down on the other side of the bed at Zack's side, head in his hands._

 _The soft beeps from the ECG filled the room in the silence that followed._

 _Jason stared at his bedridden friend with hard eyes, nostrils flared. "I'm going to kill him."_

" _What are you talking about, Jason?" Andros asked tiredly._

 _The red Earth ranger glared at him. "If you believe for one second that I'm letting that son of a bitch get away with this, then you're either stupid or delusional. He needs to pay for what he's done."_

" _Then we capture him. Bring him in to the Eltarian Council." Andros shook his head. "You're not a killer, Jason."_

" _LOOK AT ZACK!" the Earth ranger roared, tears in his eyes. "Look at what that bastard did to him!"_

" _I know what he did!" Andros shouted, eyes blazing. "But you and I both know that killing Tommy won't change anything!"_

" _It'll stop him for good." Jason stood up and paced. "It'll make me feel better."_

" _No, it won't, because this has_ nothing _to do with Tommy – not really. This is about you and the fact that you can't handle your part in all of this."_

 _Kim turned watery eyes on Jason. Her sadness over Zack's condition was quickly becoming overshadowed by her rising anger towards her ex-boyfriend in light of his confession earlier that evening._

" _This isn't about me," Jason hissed. "Something has to be done – he's gone too far this time."_

" _And what exactly measures as too far to you?" the pink ranger spoke up, heat behind her words. "When it doesn't get you what you want? Because it wasn't too far when you left him with Rita and Goldar."_

" _Kim, I wish I hadn't done it. If I could take it back…" He grit his teeth. "By the time I realized my mistake, it was already too late. Rita took back her offer – there was nothing I could do." Jason closed his eyes and sighed, a wave of guilt rolling over him. "I had no idea what they would do to him, and if I'd known…" He licked his lips. "I didn't think it'd actually be so bad that it'd push him to try and – "_

" _What did you_ think _he was going to do?" she yelled, eyes bloodshot. "They tortured him day after day until they_ broke _him, Jason…and then they set him loose." She stood up. "It didn't occur to you to go to the worst-case scenario? Because that's what_ always _happens with Tommy, and that's exactly what happened with Zack."_

 _Jason turned from her angrily but said nothing._

 _Andros narrowed his eyes as he watched the red Earth ranger. "You're a disgrace."_

 _Kim could see the muscles in Jason's back tense up from the comment._

" _Not only did you abandon a defenseless civilian because of your jealousy, you endangered the lives of countless others by failing to do your duty as a ranger." Andros shook his head. "I watched the footage of your fights with the green ranger – you could've stopped him time and time again, Jason."_

 _The red Earth ranger looked down in shame._

" _I thought your hesitation was because you didn't want to hurt someone you once considered a friend, but it was your guilt, wasn't it?"_

 _Andros grew impatient when Jason remained quiet. "Wasn't it?!" he yelled._

 _Jason turned to Andros with wet eyes. "Yes, all right?! You're right – I could've stopped him, and I didn't because I knew on some level, I-I deserved it… but not anymore. You see what he's done – this has to stop." He clenched his fists. "I'm taking him out – it's what Zack would want."_

" _What Zack would_ want _is to protect the people of this planet, not to be the reason you decided to become a murderer," Andros said tightly. "Don't dishonor his sacrifice."_

 _He moved so that he was standing directly in front of Jason. "You let your emotions cloud your judgment, you put a civilian's life in jeopardy, and you threatened the safety of this planet by refusing to contain a threat when the opportunity presented itself. We. Don't. Do. That."_

 _He glared at the black-haired teen. "You don't deserve to be a ranger."_

 _Kim and Jason watched Andros leave the medical bay, his parting words leaving the two of them in tense silence._

 _Jason swallowed thickly, tears running down his face. "Kim…"_

" _He's right," she whispered. "God, none of us could ever figure out why Tommy hated you so much, but you knew all along, didn't you?"_

 _The guilt on his face made the answer to her question clear._

 _Kim's nostrils flared as she tried to keep herself from slapping him. She knew this wasn't all Jason's fault – Tommy made his own choices in all of this – but it felt_ damn _good to yell at the red ranger. Ever since it came out that she cheated on him, he'd been making her feel like shit. It felt good to be able to rail on him for once._

" _Well, I hope it was worth it." She glared at him. "Because_ that's _why Zack's hurt._ That's _why he's in a coma. Tommy did this to him because of_ you _." She wiped her eyes. "So, you know what? You don't get to do this, Jason, all right? It's too late for you to cry and act like you've seen the light and get angry about some imaginary line_ you've _decided Tommy can't cross just because you're afraid you're the reason Zack's going to die."_

 _Jason's eyes fluttered in pain, and Kim immediately regretted her harsh words._

 _But she wouldn't apologize._

" _I-I have to go," he mumbled and headed for the exit._

 _She stopped herself from going after him and turned her attention back to the motionless black ranger. She cupped his hand in hers once more, pushing back thoughts of Jason and Tommy and the mess the three of them made in order to focus on her fallen friend._

Jason moved forward and pulled her into a loose hug. She wrapped her arms around his waist.

He pressed a light kiss to her cheek. "Take care of yourself," he whispered.

She pulled back and nodded, giving his hand a small squeeze before heading out of the Power Chamber. Andros and Zhane stood waiting in the hallway for her.

"You ready?" Zhane asked.

She shook her head. "I have one more thing I need to take care of. I'll meet you guys at the ship."

Kim headed down the hall, making the now familiar trek to the medical bay. She walked over to Zack, heart breaking at the sight of her friend hooked up to so many machines.

After the black ranger had passed out on the battlefield following Tommy's attempt to save his life, Trini had teleported him back to the Power Chamber, where she and the others attempted to revive him. His heartbeat had been erratic, and the readings on the ECG indicated he was going into cardiac arrest. Despite attempts to restart his heart with the defibrillator, nothing appeared to work, and the black ranger eventually flatlined.

In the minutes that followed, countless tears had been shed by those surrounding the fallen teen. Billy, who lay on the bed beside him with a badly damaged leg, had to be restrained by several Time Force officers from trying to get to Zack. Chad, the blue Lightspeed Rescue ranger, held Trini as she cried into his chest.

It was only when they heard the steady, slow beeping on the ECG did everyone realize that Zack was, in fact, still alive.

They later learned that he hadn't actually flatlined – his heart rate had been so fast that the machine couldn't keep up. Tommy's green energy in combination with the black ranger's own powers had caused an overload that he hadn't been able to handle. His body had been working feverishly to manage the energy spike and had finally reached a point where his heartbeat could slow down enough so that it was detectable.

They also learned, when Cestro came to heal him, that the worst of his wound had already been healed. The green ranger had used his powers to re-stitch the damaged organs and muscles, but it caused too much stress on Zack's injured body, and he'd passed out before Tommy was able to fully heal him. Unfortunately, his body was still fighting with the green energy he'd been infused with, so any further attempts to heal him by the rangers were stopped in fear of causing further damage to their friend.

That was four days ago, and Zack was still unconscious.

He was declared comatose when all known methods to wake him up had been attempted with no result. As far as they could tell, there was no reason for him to be in his coma. He was completely capable of waking up at any time – he just wouldn't.

"Hey," Kim said softly as she stood over her friend. If it weren't for the machines beeping around him, she could've imagined he was sleeping.

"I have to go away for a little while," she told him, taking his limp hand in hers. "Things have gotten too complicated for me here, and I just need time to get my head right. For me and the baby."

She smiled. "I dream sometimes about what it's going to be like once this baby is born… and in every one of those dreams, you're there. I _need_ you to be there." She squeezed his hand. "Please wake up."

Kim sighed when he didn't respond and brushed her thumb over his eyebrow. She bent down, pressing a soft kiss against his forehead.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered into his skin.

The pink ranger wiped her eyes and headed out of the medical bay to the elevators, her gifts from Billy in hand. She gave the Power Chamber one last tearful look before pressing the button to head up to the surface.

The Astro Megaship sat outside of the ruins of the Command Center. The bridge was down, Zhane seated there waiting for her. He stood when he saw her.

"I'm ready."

Fifteen minutes later, Kim stared out the window of the ship, the Earth growing smaller and smaller as they headed further into space. Tears streamed down her face as she watched the only home she'd ever known slowly fade into darkness.

A hand on her shoulder jolted her, and she turned to see Andros standing there. "Everything will be okay, Kimberly."

She nodded, turning back to look out the window.

She hoped he was right.

* * *

 **Eastern Grasslands Home of Stevros and Jenanthia**

 **Living Room**

 **KO-35**

 **Five days later, Local time, Morning**

"Andros… there's no way I can stay here."

The red space ranger turned to her, sweating slightly in his sleeveless undershirt and gray slacks. "This is one of many homes that once belonged to my parents. I assure you, it is no problem for you to stay here with your son."

Kim shook her head in disbelief. It was a modest home with four bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms and was already fully-furnished.

"But I can't afford to live here."

Andros raised an eyebrow. "Why are you expecting to pay? As I said before, you are my guest."

"Andros…"

He held up a hand. "You're living here. That's final." He looked around. "Now, which room do you want this chair in?"

Andros and Zhane were helping her get everything situated in the new house. Luckily, she didn't have much – most of what she brought was for the baby – so it didn't take more than a few hours to unpack everything.

"This is the last thing," a shirtless Zhane said, holding the package for the baby's crib under his arm. "Leave it in the nursery?"

Kimberly stared at him, eyes trailing over his torso. He was almost as defined as Tommy, though the biggest difference was the trail of blond hair on his stomach that disappeared beneath the waistband of his pants.

"Kim?"

She blinked and flushed slightly.

"Uh y-yes." She cleared her throat. "The nursery should be fine."

The pink ranger shook her head. Those pregnancy hormones always seemed to kick in at the wrong damn time.

Zhane came back into the living room, and Kim pointedly look away from him.

"So, what now?" he asked, now standing behind the petite pink ranger.

Andros stood, putting his jacket back on. "We need to stop by the market. The house doesn't have any food, so you'll need to stock up."

Zhane smiled. "Maybe we can show you around town, too?" he suggested looking down at her. "Show you where things are in the city?"

Kim nodded, ears red. "That would be great."

Andros looked between them and rolled his eyes. He grabbed Zhane's shirt and jacket and tossed it to his friend with more force than was necessary, hitting him in the chest. The blond shot him a confused look.

"Get dressed. We're leaving now."

The first place they stopped looked like an ordinary home – well, ordinary for KO-35. An old woman opened the door, blue eyes watching curiously as they approached.

"It's quite warm out," she said. "You all should be careful to protect yourselves."

Andros stepped to her. "Protection is only needed for those who fear the sun."

Kim furrowed her brow. _'What the fuck kinda response is that?'_

"You do not fear the sun?"

"No," he said. "There is no reason to fear the light when you choose to walk in it freely."

The old woman chuckled and opened the door further. "You may come inside."

The pink ranger followed behind Andros and Zhane, completely confused as to what the hell that was all about. They led her further into the house to a door with a keypad next to it. Andros punched in a series of numbers and then the door opened, revealing a staircase. He headed downstairs, Zhane and Kimberly on his heels.

The pink ranger's eyes widened when they reached the bottom.

Andros turned back to look at her. "Welcome to the rebel base, Kimberly."

The room looked like something straight out of Star Trek. The layout was similar to that of the Power Chamber, and she figured this place must have been the basis for the design. The biggest difference was the amount of tech in the room – large floating TVs, holographic projectors, some weird spinning thing that seemed to generate its own electricity.

' _Billy would be in heaven here,'_ she thought as she took in the various gadgets in the room.

"Andros! You're back!"

A young woman with strawberry blonde hair approached the trio and hugged Andros tightly. She was slightly older than all of them and quite tall, over six feet if Kim had to guess. The carefully ironed slacks and fitted black shirt she wore gave her an air of authority.

"Hey, Klasiah."

"No hug for me?" Zhane pouted.

"Do you deserve one?" she asked. She laughed when he rolled his eyes and gave him a quick hug. The woman then turned hazel eyes on Kimberly.

Andros reached out and wrapped a comforting arm around the pink ranger's shoulders. "Klasiah, meet Kimberly, the pink ranger of Earth. Kimberly, this is Klasiah, fellow graduate of the Eltarian Academy and one of the main reasons behind the success of the rebel army."

"Nice to meet you, Kimberly," the woman said kindly as she shook her hand, revealing twin tattoos on her forearms. "Never met anyone from the Earth team before."

"Glad I could be the first," the pink ranger said, feeding off of the older woman's relaxed energy. "You trained to be a ranger, too?"

"Top of the class," Zhane said. "But then she turned it down."

"Only because I felt my skills were better suited to take care of our home than gallivanting across the universe."

"Yeah, yeah," the blond space ranger said mockingly.

"Zhane and Klasiah are cousins," Andros explained. "You'll get used to their bickering."

"I have an older brother," Kim said wryly. "Trust me, I get it."

"Be careful with it," a loud, gruff voice said from behind them on the staircase. "You damage anything in there and you're paying for it, you hear me?"

A handsome, portly man with a buzz cut stood wearing a dark blue shirt and gray slacks, a frown on his face as he glared up the stairs. His eyes were a vibrant shade of green that Kim had never seen before.

"Boys giving you trouble again, Jax?" Klasiah asked.

"When aren't they?" he asked irritably. "One of these days they're going to regret not listening to me." His eyes landed on Kimberly. "Oh, hello there… and who might you be?"

"Kimberly," she said, slightly nervous. She relaxed at the friendly grin on his face and took the offered hand.

"Jax," he said. "Are you new here?"

"Kimberly is the pink ranger from Earth," Zhane supplied.

Jax's eyes widened in surprise. "Well how about that?" He grinned. "What brings you to KO-35?"

"I'll be living here for the foreseeable future," she said while rubbing a hand over her stomach.

He nodded in understanding and turned to the space rangers. "And just which one of you is responsible for doing this to her?"

Klasiah barked out a laugh at Zhane and Andros' horrified faces.

"Neither of them," Kim said sharply. "I – this – "

Jax held up a hand. "I'm just teasing, Kimberly," he said softly. "It's none of my business, and frankly, I prefer to keep it that way." He shook his head. "My sons keep me in the loop about more than I care to know – no need to pile more on."

"Funny," a younger male voice said.

Kim looked around Jax to see a young man standing there next to a large crate. He was very tall, about 6' 8", and had a lean frame. He had the same vibrant green eyes as Jax and shaggy, dirty blond hair. He wore the same clothes as Jax but his slacks hang low around his hips and his sleeves were rolled up.

A chuckle from the other side of the crate revealed another man, this one older but with similar features. His eyes were amber and his dark brown hair was shaved on the sides and spiked on top. He wore a short boxed beard, and he was stockier and a little shorter, coming in at around 6' 4". He was also wearing the same outfit as Jax, but his shirt was tied around his waist, leaving him in a white undershirt.

"Where do you want these, dad?"

"In the back with the rest, but come here first. Be nice and greet our new guest."

The two walked over and stood beside their father. Jax turned to Kimberly. "These are my sons – Drex and Lukor. Boys, this is Kimberly."

They smiled at her, and Kim couldn't help but notice how attractive they both were.

' _Ugh… these goddamn hormones,'_ she thought irritably.

"Never seen you around before," the older one, Lukor, said. "Are you new to the army?"

"Something like that. I come from Earth."

"Really?" Drex asked, eyes lighting up with interest. "I've always wanted to visit Earth."

Kim smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. She didn't even know how to begin to him explain why that might never happen.

"And you will one day," Andros said, giving Kim a knowing glance. She smiled gratefully.

"You're a long way from home," Lukor pointed out. "What brings you to KO-35?"

"Are you visiting or moving here permanently? Where's the rest of your team? When did you arrive?" Drex asked, rattling off his questions one after the other.

Jax clapped a hand on both of his sons' shoulders. "Now, now… I just wanted you to introduce yourselves, not interrogate her. She just got in town – don't scare her off by asking so many questions. She'll be around for a while, so you'll have time." He looked behind them. "Now get moving with that package. You're blocking the staircase."

Drex and Lukor said their goodbyes and went back to moving the large crate into a room in the far back.

"What'd you bring us this time?" Klasiah asked.

He grinned. "Let's just say I think you'll find some things a certain _someone_ has been asking me to bring for quite a while."

Her eyes lit up. " _Really?_ "

Jax shrugged knowingly. "Only one way to find out..."

The pink ranger watched in amusement as Klasiah dragged the older man behind her excitedly in the same direction his sons ventured off.

"Interesting group of people here," she said softly.

"That's a word for them," Zhane said. "It might take some time for you to get used to everyone, but…"

"No, no, I didn't mean it in a bad way," she said quickly. "I'm actually looking forward to meeting everyone."

"I'm glad," Andros said. "There are quite a few people we still need to introduce you to before we head out. Come on."

The rest of their time at the rebel base went by in a blur for the pink ranger. Andros and Zhane introduced her to another seventeen members of the rebel army before they had to leave. Many of them were in awe of her, excited to have the opportunity to meet a power ranger from a different team. Others had never met an earthling before and had dozens of questions about her home planet. All of them were very personable and intrigued by the pink ranger.

And Kimberly discovered she was just as interested in them.

Despite some of the obvious differences – a good number of them didn't speak the same language or weren't even humanoid – she found many of them reminded her of the people she left back home. Not exactly the same, but enough to put her at ease. One of her biggest concerns about leaving Earth was not being able to connect with anyone while she started her new life on KO-35.

It was comforting to realize she had little to be worried about.

"Already headed out?" Kim heard Jax ask as they started to ascend the stairs. He and Klasiah had made their way back over to them to see them off.

"Yes," the silver space ranger said. "We need to gather some supplies for Kimberly and show her around the city before we head back to Earth."

Klasiah nodded. "Right. Well… make sure you stop by again before you leave." She turned to the pink ranger. "And you stop by, too, Kimberly. We need to make sure we get your information so we can check up on you while you're here. From the looks of it, you're due any day now, so we'll need to get you setup with a doctor soon."

"O-Of course." Kimberly smiled gratefully. "Thank you."

Klasiah smiled. "Think nothing of it."

Andros frowned as he gazed at his watch. "We really must get going."

"Right." The pink ranger waved. "I'll see you all again soon."

"Safe travels!" she heard Jax call out behind them.

Kim followed behind Andros and Zhane to the hovercar quietly, a soft smile on her face.

"Maybe this won't be so bad after all," she murmured to her unborn child, hands rubbing her stomach gently. "What do you think?"

Kimberly wasn't expecting a response from her son, so she couldn't help but grin when she felt the baby kick against her palm.

"Yeah, me too."

* * *

 **Western Hills Hospital**

 **Operating Room 29**

 **KO-35**

 **Weeks later, Local time, Mid-Afternoon**

"Okay, Kimberly, how are you feeling?"

The pink ranger looked nervously at the doctor. "I-I'm okay."

Kim felt incredibly nervous. She was scheduled to deliver the baby in two days, but her water broke unexpectedly today, and she was rushed to the hospital.

"You're doing great, Kim. This is a standard procedure and will all be over with soon."

One of the first things Kimberly did upon moving to KO-35 was find a doctor to help with her pregnancy. Several women she met at the rebel base had given her recommendations to see Dr. Prenjak. Kim was immediately reassured by the doctor's kind demeanor and felt very at ease with her from the very beginning.

"Just remember to breathe, okay?"

About two weeks before her due date, Dr. Prenjak had discovered that the baby was breeched. His body was oriented feet first, and as a result, a C-section would most likely be needed. They had hoped the baby might turn around by the due date, but upon checking today, they saw that he was still in the wrong position.

"Now tell me, do you feel any pain?"

Kim shook her head. They had injected her with something that made her stomach feel numb and all the pain go away.

It felt pretty amazing.

"All right. We're going to start the procedure soon. You might feel some discomfort while we're working."

"Okay."

"Do you know if the father will be here?"

The pink ranger lay her head back on the bed. "Just… just start without him."

Mercifully, Kimberly felt very little pain throughout the procedure – some pulling and pushing here and there, but no real pain.

Her anxiety, however, was through the roof.

It was surreal for her to think that after all these months with this life growing inside of her, he was finally _here_.

"All right, I have his feet." She felt more pulling and then shrill cries. "And there's the head."

Dr. Prenjak looked up at her. "Congratulations, Kimberly. You have a healthy, baby boy."

The pink ranger cried when she saw her son in the doctor's arms, squirming and crying his little heart out. Dr. Prenjak cut the umbilical cord and handed the baby over to another doctor who quickly left the room.

"Where are they taking him?" the pink ranger asked, trying to sit up in her panic.

Dr. Prenjak shook her head. "Kimberly, please don't try to move. We have to remove the placenta and stitch you back up. Dr. Krevla took your son to dry off and remove the fluid in his mouth and nose. He'll be brought back to you as soon as we're done – I promise."

Kimberly tried to relax as they finished up the surgery, willing them to hurry up so she could get to her baby. Several minutes passed before they finally finished stitching her up, and she was moved to her recovery room.

Her eyes lit up when the door to her room opened shortly after, a nurse walking in with a bundle in her arms.

"Kimberly… say hello to your son."

The tears started up again as the baby boy was put in her arms, squirming in the blanket he was wrapped in. He had been cleaned off and wore a purple hat on his head. He stared up at her sleepily.

"Hello there," she whispered, a smile on her face. "My little Ryan Christopher Hart."

The infant yawned, tongue sticking out slightly as if he was trying to eat the finger brushing his cheek.

"I'm so happy you're finally here."

The nurse explained to Kimberly how to hold and care for the infant, all the while patiently answering any questions the pink ranger had.

"Do I have to breastfeed him?"

The nurse smiled. "It is recommended but not necessary. He will probably be hungry very soon – if you would like to try, you can do it then."

The child began crying at that moment, his face turning an angry shade of red.

"Or now," the nurse said, voice laced with amusement.

"What do I do?"

"Turn him towards your breast and move him so his mouth is near the nipple." Kim followed the woman's instructions. "Once his mouth is open, just turn him into your chest."

She did as instructed, and it took a few tries before he finally latched on. It pinched a bit in the beginning but then gradually felt better. It was an odd sensation that Kim wasn't really sure she liked, but her son seemed to be much calmer now. That was all that mattered to her.

The nurse excused herself from the room, leaving Kim to feed her son. She burped him when he was finished, already familiar with the action from babysitting her younger cousins for her uncle.

"There you go," she whispered at the now content newborn, shifting her gown around to cover herself back up. "Someone's in a better mood."

A knock at the door caught her attention. "Come in."

The door opened, revealing a nervous Jason carrying a gray backpack. He was dressed in a red and blue plaid shirt and dark jeans. "Hey."

"Hi," she said softly. He cleared his throat awkwardly at the silence.

"Is that…?" He pointed at the bundle in her arms.

She nodded, grinning down at her son. "Meet Ryan. Ryan Christopher Hart."

The red ranger leaned down and traced his thumb over the boy's forehead. "Hey, there. I'm Jason."

The little boy paid him little mind, content from his meal and well on his way to sleep.

"Oh… this is for you," Jason said, reaching into the backpack and handing her two envelopes.

The first was a card that had the signature of everyone back home wishing her good luck with the baby. The second card was just from her teammates, and she gasped when recognized the shaky scrawl that was Zack's handwriting.

"He's up," Jason confirmed. "Nearly passed out trying to sign the damn thing, but he refused to let me give it to you without his signature."

She choked out a laugh at her friend's stubbornness, overwhelmed and overjoyed to learn he was really okay. She put the cards down on the nearby table.

"Thank you."

He nodded and reached into the bag again, pulling out something that appeared to be quite large.

"What's that?"

"A camera I got from Trini. I promised everyone a picture of the two of you." He lifted it up to his face. "Say cheese."

Kimberly turned to look at her son, whose little fist was now pressed up against his mouth. Her heart melted at the sight, and a soft smile stretched across her face.

"Cheese."

* * *

 **Western Hills Hospital**

 **Room 407**

 **KO-35**

 **Next day, Local time, Mid-Afternoon**

Fate's a fickle bitch.

The words of his father never rang truer to the red ranger than when he looked down at the newborn baby in his arms. The infant's movements were sluggish as he squirmed in Jason's hold.

Ryan Christopher Hart.

By law, he was Jason's son.

By blood, Tommy was his father.

' _What the hell did you get yourself into, Jason?'_ he thought to himself.

Ryan looked up at Jason sleepily, his steely gray eyes closing periodically. The doctor had informed them that his eyes would change colors after a few months, and Jason was curious what the final color would be.

' _Probably brown,'_ he thought. Kim's dad had blue eyes and Tommy's father's eyes were green, but both of their mothers had brown eyes.

The infant yawned widely, and his arm found its way to his curious mouth. The red ranger chuckled as he watched the child attempt to eat the blanket his arm was wrapped in. He gently smoothed out the boy's hair, which proved surprisingly difficult as it simply refused to be tamed. The brown curls stuck out comically from the baby's head, pointing in every direction.

Just like Tommy's hair would do when they would wake him up from his naps in the back of English class junior year.

Jason closed his eyes, pushing back the flood of anger he felt at the thought of that piece of shit green ranger. The rage had admittedly faded somewhat since Zack had woken up and from working together to take down Zedd. Tommy had proven himself to be a resourceful ally in their fight to take down the power-hungry emperor, which softened some of Jason's more volatile feelings towards his former friend.

He still wanted to kick him in his fucking teeth, though.

Jason looked down at Ryan, taking his small hand in his own. It was weird holding the little boy in his arms. Up until yesterday, the baby was this abstract concept that everyone talked about. He wasn't a person that Jason could hold or feed or talk to, so it was a little easier to deal with his feelings about him.

Now that he was really here, the red ranger couldn't ignore the mixed emotions he felt about the child.

Ryan was a beautiful baby – from the curls at the top of his head down to his feet that kicked beneath the blanket. Jason had always had a fondness for kids, and the moment the newborn had been placed in his arms, the protective side of him kicked into full gear. He knew he would do everything in his power to keep this child safe.

But then there were the darker emotions he felt brewing just below the surface.

It wasn't that he hated Ryan – he could never have enough hate in his heart to feel that way towards a child. The baby was the only innocent one in all of this, and he didn't deserve anything except the love and care of the people around him.

Jason just wasn't sure he could be one of those people.

As protective as he was over the newborn, he couldn't mask the hurt and jealousy he still felt with regards to the circumstances surrounding the child's conception. The emotional pain had slowly begun to ebb with time, but with the birth of Kim's son, Jason now had a permanent, physical reminder of all his failures.

His failed relationship with Kimberly.

His broken friendship with Tommy.

His moment of weakness where he allowed jealousy to overshadow his duty to protect his friend.

He saw it all every time he looked into the little boy's eyes, and it still hurt like hell.

It was the reason he wasn't in the operating room while Kim gave birth. He'd left for the hospital only minutes after receiving her message that she was going into labor. He was there from the moment they gave her the epidural, but he couldn't get himself to walk through the door.

And now that he was finally here, the red ranger was at a loss.

 _He_ made the decision to tell everyone that Ryan was his child. _He_ volunteered to take responsibility and support Kim with this baby. There was no taking that back now.

if he was going to play the role, he'd have to find a way to move past this and forge a relationship with the child.

He just couldn't figure out how to do it.

It occurred to him that a good person would have already put aside his personal feelings for the sake of the baby and fulfill the responsibility he signed up for. A good person would have fallen in love with the baby the moment he held him in his arms no matter his paternity.

It also occurred to Jason that he might not be that good of a person.

Could he really go through with raising another man's child – _Tommy's_ child – without resenting the boy in the process? Spend day after day playing House with Kimberly as if she hadn't cruelly broken his heart? Could he look past the fact that Ryan was the result of a huge betrayal and love him as his own anyway?

A few months ago, Jason wouldn't have hesitated and said absolutely.

Now that the time had come… he wasn't so sure.

The real kick in the pants was knowing that at one point in time, there was a chance Ryan actually _could_ have been his. It was a moment of recklessness that could've changed his life forever had things turned out differently.

 _When Jason Scott woke up this morning, he hadn't anticipated his eighteenth birthday to go down as one of the single greatest and most terrifying days of his young life._

 _On the plus side, at least it was memorable._

 _His day started with his parents telling him he didn't have to go to school that day and instead taking him out for brunch at his favorite diner. Jason hadn't expected his uncle and grandparents to be there, and the surprise nearly made him cry. His grandparents' health wasn't the best these days – one had Alzheimer's, the other lung cancer – so to have them both there, lucid and in such good spirits, meant a great deal to the teen._

 _Afterwards, he met up with Zack and some of the other football players at the arcade when school got out. They'd gone upstairs to play a couple rounds of laser tag before heading to the movies to catch the latest Jean-Claude Van Damme flick, "Maximum Risk". Truthfully, he couldn't even remember what the plot was – only that there was a lot of explosions and tons of ass-kicking involved._

 _Two pick-up games of basketball at Angel Grove Park later, and Jason was ready to call it a day. He waved goodbye to his friends and headed home, mindful of the note on the refrigerator from his parents that they would be back late tonight. The red ranger took a quick shower and threw on a red tank top and some black basketball shorts, snacking on some puffed Cheetos as he watched reruns of COPS._

 _An hour later, he was in the process of adding the new CDs he received for his birthday to his collection when the doorbell rang. Jason headed downstairs and opened the door, surprised to see Kim standing there in a white sundress and gladiator sandals, her toes a pretty shade of red. She had a large brown bag that smelled like Chinese food, a large bottle of ginger ale, and two VHS tapes tucked under her arm._

" _Can I come in?"_

 _He nodded and stepped aside, allowing her entry into his home before closing and locking the door behind her._

" _I thought you were spending the weekend at your dad's place?"_

 _She rolled her eyes, setting the food down on the coffee table. "I am, but then I figured – why rush to get there today…" She walked over and wrapped her arms around his neck. "…when I could be spending tonight with you instead?"_

 _He smiled and leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. He figured Kim's reason for staying had a little more to do with not wanting to spend more time with her dad and stepmother than was legally agreed upon in the custody battle, but he appreciated her being here nonetheless._

" _Thank you."_

 _Honestly, Jason was surprised that she even stopped by. Things had been a little awkward between them lately, and he wondered if he had done something to offend her. She had barely addressed the message he left on her answering machine earlier that week, clamming up anytime he mentioned it. He didn't know what the hell was wrong with her, but she was here now, so he took that to mean that it had finally resolved itself._

" _So…" He nudged her arm. "What'd you get me for my birthday?"_

 _The pink ranger winced. "Nothing?"_

 _Jason raised an eyebrow. "The self-proclaimed Queen of Gifts? Funny." When he saw she wasn't joking, his eyes widened. "Seriously?"_

 _She sighed. "I was going to get you a couple of new CDs, but I had to put the kibosh on that idea once Zack told me what he and the guys were doing." She bit her bottom lip. "And then I thought well, maybe I could get you that videogame you were so excited about. The one with the guy who chases pigs – "_

" _Duke Nukem 3D," he supplied helpfully._

" – _but the price is still too high."_

" _No worries." He pointed to his room upstairs. "My uncle got it for me. Haven't opened it yet, but it's pretty much gonna be my whole weekend now."_

" _Oh." She pouted._

" _Hey." He pinched her side. "You know you don't have to get me anything, Kim. Just having you here today is more than enough."_

 _She scowled. "That's lame, Jason."_

 _He laughed loudly. "Sorry? I thought it was romantic."_

" _Look, Zack is not beating me this year. I've won six years in a row at giving you the best birthday gift. My streak must remain intact."_

 _The red ranger sighed and walked around to sit on the couch. "You two… I don't know how many times I have to tell you guys how stupid this whole competition is – "_

 _Kim narrowed her eyes and grinned, joining him on the couch. She squeezed his knee. "So, you still think it's stupid even if my gift now is a night of fooling around?"_

" – _but I_ definitely _think you should go for seven years straight. Don't let Zack break your streak."_

 _The pink ranger laughed hard._

" _Fooling around, huh?" His face lit up, and he scooted closer to her. "Well that's certainly a gift that can't be topped. What did you have in mind?"_

" _You're the birthday boy." She reached for the Chinese food and grabbed the egg rolls. "What do you want?"_

 _He pondered this. "It can be_ anything _I want?"_

 _She paused at the way he stressed anything before taking a bite of the appetizer. "We're not doing anal."_

 _He sighed, disheartened to learn it was still firmly off the table._

 _Jason had become intrigued by the idea of anal sex thanks to the porn collection he'd received from Zack's older brother before the start of junior year. Derek had split the massive collection into three parts – the largest for him to take to college, and the rest split evenly between his little brother and Jason for helping him clean the house after an unauthorized house party._

 _Truth be told, anal sex was never something that really appealed to Jason, and he suspected it must hurt like hell, but he couldn't help but be curious about trying it one day._

 _He brought up the idea of trying it once to Kim at the end of junior year. She told him point blank he'd lost his damn mind if he thought that day would ever come with her._

" _Okay…then how about this. Either anal or – " He held up a finger when she glared at him. " – or something else that I wanna try."_

 _Kim furrowed her brow. "Like?"_

 _The red ranger leaned forward and whispered in her ear. He sat back and studied her face to see her reaction._

" _And for the second thing, I promise to pull out." He bit his lip. "I just wanna know what it feels like."_

 _She took a bite of her eggroll, purposefully ignoring his hopeful expression. "The first thing? No. The second one… okay."_

 _He blinked. "Wait seriously?"_

 _He thought she would have said no to everything. Now that it looked like it was actually going to happen, he began to get excited._

" _Well, I'm certainly not doing the other thing."_

 _His other request was to go down on her. It was something Kim had consistently declined in the past, adamant that she just wasn't ready for that step yet. He had accepted her answer, but once she had started giving him oral sex, he couldn't help feeling it was unfair that he couldn't return the favor._

 _Fortunately for him, he didn't know that she was very well-acquainted with the pleasure of oral sex thanks to a certain green ranger. Her refusal now had less to do with being ready and everything to do with her feeling that that particular level of intimacy should be reserved for Tommy alone._

" _So, when do we…?"_

 _She shook her head. "Eat first and then…" She held up the movies in her hand. "Goldeneye and Top Gun."_

" _And then…?"_

 _She laughed at his eager expression. "Yes, Jason."_

 _For Kim, this was her first real test since starting this whole affair with Tommy. She had been adamant that she wanted to remain with Jason while engaging in a sexual relationship with the green ranger – it hadn't occurred to her at the time that this potentially involved having sex with both of them._

 _The thought alone made her stomach twist in discomfort._

 _The obvious way to avoid that was to choose one of them and not even entertain the thought of cheating, but it was too difficult for her to go through with it. Her history with the red ranger made it impossible for her to break things off with him, and the heat between her and Tommy was already too hot to ignore._

 _Kim forced a smile on her face as she watched her boyfriend – she'd just have to push thoughts of the green ranger out of her head. Tonight was about Jason._

 _They finished off their dinner while watching Goldeneye, rinsing off the plates and utensils before leaving them in the kitchen sink. Jason suggested they go upstairs to watch Top Gun, preferring the intimacy of his bedroom to the living room._

 _They lay cuddled up in his bed as they watched the movie, Kim tucked into his side. Cuddling turned into making out as the movie played in the background, which eventually evolved into heavy petting. By the time the credits rolled around, Kim's panties were on the floor and Jason's shorts and boxers were hanging around his thighs as they writhed against each other._

 _Jason wheezed into the pink ranger's chest, his grip on her ass tight. He grit his teeth, hips thrusting frantically as she ground against him hard._

" _O-Ohmygod," he stuttered, taking a bouncing nipple into his mouth and sucking hungrily. "Uhn! Uhn!"_

 _Jason flipped them over, lifting her legs up higher along his sides. He rubbed his cock against her sex, stimulating her clit with the ridge along the underside of his shaft. He groaned when her thighs tightened around his waist._

" _I'mgonnacum…" he moaned in her ear, cock already pulsing._

 _He lifted up and grabbed a tissue off the nightstand, ejaculating into it with a grunt when he reached his peak. He stroked himself and groaned, waiting until he was completely done before falling over onto his back. He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply._

 _Zack had told him before that the best way to last longer during sex was to get one off beforehand. The orgasm he just had should definitely do the trick – hell, his thighs were still twitching._

 _When the tremors finally stopped, Jason leaned forward and kissed the spot above her right breast, lazily stroking himself back to full hardness. He grabbed the remote and turned off the VCR, switching the TV back to basic cable where an episode of Walker Texas Ranger was playing._

 _He put the remote on the floor and turned to the pink ranger, wiggling his eyebrows playfully. "Can I have my present now?"_

 _Kim snorted and removed her dress, tossing it and her bra across the room. "Yeah. Come on."_

 _The red ranger kissed her enthusiastically. She rolled her eyes when they broke apart, a slight smile on her face. "You're such a dork."_

 _Kim laid out across the bed, her hair spilling across the pillows. She spread her legs to make room for him, and the red ranger bit his lip at the sight._

" _Fuck," he said under his breath._

 _He gave himself a few rough strokes before climbing over her. Grabbing her legs, he pulled her towards him and placed the backs of her knees over the bend in his arms, pressing his cock against her entrance. He exhaled once the head was in and gave slow, shallow thrusts to work himself into her. She gripped his forearms tightly, arching her back with a groan once he was fully inside. Jason held still and took deep breaths as he took in all of the sensations around his cock that the condom masked._

" _Oh god," he whispered aloud. "Holy shit."_

 _The guys were definitely right about this one – nothing compared to going bareback. He could feel how hot and moist she was around him, gripping him all along his length. The only feeling he could compare it to was the first time he morphed into the red ranger, and even that seemed to pale in comparison._

 _Jason pulled out slowly, leaving only the tip in before he pushed in all the way. Kim gasped and clenched the sheets._

" _You all right?" he asked, concerned that he'd hurt her._

 _She nodded, eyes closed. "K-Keep going."_

 _Jason took slow breaths and gave a few more measured thrusts, noticing it was getting easier to slide into her. He tried his best to be mindful of how hard he was going. Kimberly seemed to be in a lot of pain the first time they were together, so he had taken special care to move slowly and refrained from going too deep in order to keep from hurting her. This time, though, she seemed much more at ease, which was good since he didn't seem to be able to exhibit the same level of control._

" _Fuck," he moaned, head tilted back. He shifted so that he was on his hands and knees over her, pushing her thighs up and back so that her legs were wrapped around his upper arms._

 _Jason buried his head into her neck with a hoarse moan, using his grip on the mattress to drive hard into her snug depths._

" _Uhn! Uhn!" he panted in her ear, eyes closed. "Ohh… you feel so…UNH!"_

 _He'd never felt anything half as good, and it only took a matter of minutes before he was right on the edge._

" _Nngh! Fuckit'ssogood…"_

 _His eyes shut tight, his frantic pace stuttering out as his cock began to swell. He kept thrusting, wanting it to last just a little bit longer._

 _Somewhere in the back of his mind, Jason could hear the small, responsible voice telling him he needed to stop before things went too far. It was unfortunate that the voice was drowned out by his body screaming at him not to because it felt so damn good._

 _And then…_

" _Oh… Oh… HNNG!"_

 _Kim's walls were tightening rhythmically around his cock, sucking him harder and deeper into her until all of the tension in his body disappeared, gradually replaced by a soothing, white-hot pleasure that touched every nerve in his body. It grew stronger and stronger until all the red ranger could do was shiver and moan, eyes fluttering closed as the pleasure washed over him in waves._

 _He ground against her, gently thrusting his hips until the pleasure began to ebb. It was only when he opened his eyes and felt that all-too-familiar 'jelly legs' sensation that came after a hard climax that everything clicked._

 _Jason immediately pulled out of her and grabbed a pillow, holding it over his crotch._

" _Shit!" He ran his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Oh my god!"_

 _He grabbed the tissue box off the nightstand and handed it to her, panic settling in._

 _This was bad – this was so fucking bad. If she got pregnant, their parents would_ kill _them. They'd have to get married, quit school, get jobs to support the baby and pay for diapers and pacifiers and daycare…_

" _Jason, calm down," she said gently, wiping up the mess between her legs._

 _He stared at her wide-eyed. "How are you so calm about this? You could be pregnant!" he whispered fiercely._

" _My period should start in the next few days. If it does, we're good and there's no problem. If not…" She took a deep breath, willing herself to remain calm at the thought of having a baby. "We'll figure it out."_

 _The red ranger nodded absently, not exactly sharing the same level of confidence his girlfriend seemed to have._

 _Honestly, Kim was pretty sure that she wasn't. If Tommy hadn't already accomplished that, one time with Jason certainly wouldn't._

 _She blanched at the sudden thought of the green ranger. Thinking of him so soon after being with Jason made her feel slightly nauseous._

" _I'm gonna go," she said softly, gathering up her clothes. "Try not to freak out, okay?"_

 _Jason nodded and watched her get dressed. He pressed his hands against the sides of his head once the bedroom door closed behind her._

" _Shit!"_

Three days later, Kim informed him that she'd had her period as expected. Jason had never felt such relief in his young life, and he swore to never be so irresponsible again.

In retrospect, he should have asked Kimberly to do the same.

He stared down at the now sleeping newborn. If things had gone just a little differently, this could've been _his_ son. He and Kimberly would have been forced to work through their problems for the good of their child, possibly saving their relationship in the process.

 _Everything_ would be different.

The red ranger frowned when Zack's words from long ago suddenly echoed in his head.

' _Do you even want to be a dad?'_

Jason knew in spite of his feelings of being cheated out of a future with Kimberly, the answer to that question was still a definite no. When he was honest with himself and pushed all the bitterness and jealousy and hurt aside, that simple fact had never changed.

He just wasn't ready for that level of responsibility, and he could honestly say he didn't want it anytime soon. Hell, he was still trying to figure out how to lead his team to save the world – adding being a dad on top of that would be a total nightmare.

' _So, what the hell am I doing here now?'_

"You don't have to do that."

The red ranger snapped from his reverie to see a now-awake Kimberly watching him.

"Sorry?"

"Ryan." She gave a sad smile. "You don't have to hold him, Jason. I know this has to be difficult for you."

' _You have no idea how difficult this is,'_ he thought crossly. He looked down at the baby again, anger slowly melting.

"How are you doing?" he asked, changing the subject. The pink ranger had been asleep for the last three hours.

Kim sighed. "Like I want to kiss the person who invented painkillers."

Jason snorted. "That bad?"

She nodded, wincing slightly as she tried to sit up. The red ranger stood up, gently placing Ryan in his bassinet first before moving over to the pink ranger's side.

"Hey now, be careful," he whispered. He grabbed the controller on the side of the bed and pushed the button so that she was sitting up.

"Thanks," she breathed, still a little groggy.

Jason grabbed the pitcher of water off the table and poured her a drink. She took It gratefully.

The red ranger sat back down in his seat, his gaze falling on Ryan.

"How's he been?" she asked.

"Great," Jason said. "He takes little naps throughout the day – doctor said that's to be expected. He doesn't cry too much, and he seems to find his blanket super tasty." His nose scrunched up. "He goes to the bathroom a lot though… I mean _a lot_. That part hasn't been so great."

Kimberly grinned at the red ranger changing Ryan's diaper. "I wish I'd been awake to see that."

"The first time was the worst." He gave a half-smile and shrugged cockily. "Now I'm a pro."

He expected her to laugh at his comment, so he was alarmed when she appeared to be holding back tears.

"Kim?" He leaned forward, laying a hand on her arm. She turned her hand around to lace her fingers with his.

"It means a lot to me that you're here," she said with a sniffle. "The last time we spoke… and after everything that happened, I just…" Her voice hitched. "Thank you."

His mouth felt dry at her confession, and he swallowed the lump in his throat.

What was he supposed to say in response to that? You're welcome? I don't want to be here, but that's not really an option anymore?

Jason ran his thumb across the back of her hand and licked his lips. "Kim, I – "

Soft little cries from the bassinet broke the moment, and the two turned to see a now fussy Ryan wailing. His face was scrunched up and red, tears welling up in his eyes. The red ranger released her hand and went to pick up the crying infant.

"I just changed him not too long ago." He checked the baby's diaper. "I guess he's hungry."

He rocked Ryan in his arms. "How about we take you to your mom, huh?"

He placed Ryan in the pink ranger's arms, watching silently as she cooed at him. She undid the top of her gown, taking out her right breast. Jason flushed at the sight and turned around.

"I'll give you some privacy," he said once he could hear the sound of Ryan feeding.

Jason left the room, exhaling deeply once he was outside of the door. He braced his forearm against the wall and leaned against it, closing his eyes.

He hadn't realized he'd felt claustrophobic until now.

"…gonna be so happy to see you." Jason's eyes opened when he Kimberly's voice drifted to his ears. "There's your aunt Trini, your uncle Billy…" There was a pause and her voice became tearful but happy. "…your uncle Zack." She cleared her throat. "One day you'll meet your grandparents and your uncle Kenny." Another pause. "And your daddy. I know he can't wait to – "

She cut herself off then, and Jason could hear the hitch in her voice.

"I guess… I guess you've already met him, huh?" she whispered tearfully.

The red ranger grit his teeth and pushed off the wall, a swell of emotions building in his chest. He sat down in one of the hallway chairs and put his head in his hands, forcing himself to take deep breaths.

The weight of it all was getting to him, and he wasn't sure how to handle it.

God, he wished Zack was here – the black ranger was the one person he could always talk to about anything.

Thinking of his friend was the final straw for Jason, and he broke, letting the hot tears fall.

He cried for himself, for Kimberly… for Ryan and Zack – hell, he even shed a few tears for Tommy.

Jason couldn't even remember the last time he'd allowed himself to cry, but once he started, he found he wasn't able to stop. He'd tried his best to keep his feelings in check these last few months in an effort to hold the team together and inspire confidence in his teammates – without that weight on his shoulders, it was a relief to just let go. Crying didn't solve any of the problems he'd been trying to avoid, but he at least felt better now that the tight control he tried to keep on his emotions had loosened a bit, if only temporarily.

The red ranger wiped his eyes and sniffed. Kim would be done feeding Ryan in a few minutes. By then, he would need to become the Jason that everyone depended on.

For now, though, he was content to be a kid who just needed a moment alone to cry.


	7. Chapter 6, Part II

_**Author's Note:** And without further ado, part II of chapter 6! This chapter directly follows part I, and is the companion to Chapter 4 of Cost of Revenge: Redemption_ _but from Kim's perspective. I would strongly encourage you to read those chapters in conjunction with this one._

 _As always, please read and review. Feedback is always greatly appreciated. And a big thanks to my beta, Bellarose20, for helping with this chapter. Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Jax's Place**

 **KO-35**

 **Weeks Later, Local time, Early Afternoon**

"…much fun. I couldn't believe that was the surprise! I mean, how often do you get the opportunity to…"

Kimberly groaned and unhooked her translator necklace, setting it down on the counter in front of her. The conversation between the two Mirians instantly switched back to their native language.

The pink ranger sighed gratefully as their words faded into the background. She rest her elbows on the counter and covered her face with her hands.

She was _not_ having a good day.

A nudge at her side caused her to turn around.

"You all right, Kim?"

It was Jax, her boss.

She gave a tight smile. "I'm fine."

The older man stared at her intently for several seconds before shaking his head.

"You're not a convincing liar." He placed his hands on her shoulders and guided her to the back of the building. "You're taking a break. Don't come back out until you're feeling better."

Kim knew better than to argue with him when he made up his mind and allowed him to lead her down the hall. She stood in the doorway of the break room facing him and smiled gratefully.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Jax nodded and closed the door, heading back out front.

Kimberly lay down on the couch and grabbed a pillow, hugging it to her chest.

She was having one of _those_ days again.

It'd been six weeks since her son was born, changing her world forever. Ryan had become a large part of her life in such a short amount of time, bringing her more joy and happiness than she thought she was capable of feeling. The sight of him instantly put her in a better mood, and their mother-son cuddle time was easily the best part of every day.

But with the good came the bad, and the stress of being a single mother on a planet that wasn't her home was starting to wear on her.

The continuous feedings. The sleepless nights. The constant changing of diapers. The panic that strikes whenever she hears him cry.

And to top it all off, having to deal with it alone.

That wasn't to say she didn't have help – Kim was able to build a great support system from the people she met on KO-35. Klasiah proved to be a great friend and extremely resourceful, even going so far as to help Kim find a steady babysitter in her younger sister, Leera. The younger girl had instantly fallen in love with Ryan upon seeing him, declaring him the cutest baby she'd ever seen and even offering to watch him for free. Kimberly had also managed to forge a strong relationship with Jax and his sons. The older man owned a popular cybercafé on KO-35 and offered the pink ranger a job that she could take once she had recovered from her surgery. In accepting his offer, Kim grew close to her boss and quickly realized how much of a teddy bear the burly man was.

She couldn't think of a better group of people to help her through such a significant time in her life… except, of course, those she left had left behind on Earth.

Trini. Billy. Zack.

Her mother and brother. Her dad.

She hadn't spoken to her family since the day she stopped by to grab her things from the house, back when she first went into hiding.

Were they safe? Were they worried sick about her? Did they think she was dead? Were they even _alive_?

The pink ranger ran a hand over her face. She could feel pressure building at her temples the more she thought about them.

 _'Stop it, Kim,'_ she thought irritably. _'You're doing it again.'_

Dr. Prenjak had warned her about this. The doctor had been alarmed by how stressed the pink ranger was when they'd first met and had worked with Kimberly to find ways to reduce her stress in order to keep her from endangering the baby. Now that she'd given birth, the issue wasn't as critical, but Dr. Prenjak still had concerns on how it may impact the baby's development. Babies were very in tune with their mothers' emotions – her stress could very easily become Ryan's if she wasn't careful.

The pink ranger sighed tiredly and took deep breaths.

Kimberly found herself wishing once again that she was back on Earth. In the past, she'd handle stress by doing gymnastics. Her routines demanded all of her attention, leaving no room to devote any energy to her problems. It was the only thing that truly helped her relax.

Her ears suddenly burned red as a memory came to her.

Well, not the _only_ thing…

 _Kim ran a hand through her hair in frustration. "Dammit!"_

 _"Wanna tell me what crawled up your ass and died?"_

 _She turned and rolled her eyes at the green ranger. He was resting against the locker a few feet away from her, arms crossed over his chest. The long-sleeved black shirt he wore was fitted to his lean frame, accentuating the muscles in his arms and torso. Gray jeans hang low on his hips, held up by the black web belt around his waist._

 _"I'm not in the mood, Tommy."_

 _"That much is obvious. You've been pissy all day." He looked her up and down slowly. She wore a dark pink, long-sleeved crop top and denim skirt, white sneakers on her feet._

 _"You PMSing or something?"_

 _The pink ranger growled and slammed her locker shut, approaching the green ranger with fire in her eyes. It was lunchtime, and most of the students were either in the cafeteria or off-campus, leaving them fairly isolated in the hallway._

 _"Why is it that men always think that because a woman is upset it has to be tied to her uterus?"_

 _He opened his mouth to respond, but she continued speaking over him._

 _"Maybe I'm upset because I actually have a reason to_ be _upset. Did you ever think about that?" she hissed. "Maybe I'm just having a really shitty day, and I'm allowed to be pissed about that without having a dumbass like you questioning me about it."_

 _The green ranger stared down at her for several seconds. "Okay. Let's go."_

 _"…what?"_

 _His response threw her for such a loop that she barely reacted when he grabbed her hand, leading her out of the school and into the student parking lot._

 _"Tommy! What are you – " She ripped her hand out of his. "Stop!"_

 _They were halfway across the parking lot by now. "Come on."_

 _"No."_

 _He sighed, tilting his head back. "Oh my_ god _, why is everything always a fight with you?"_

 _"I'm not fighting," she snapped. "You manhandled me and dragged me out here with no explanation. I think it's completely reasonable to have questions."_

 _He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can we go to my truck, please?"_

 _She furrowed her brow. "Why?"_

 _"Because we're wasting time, and I'd like to get lunch before traffic gets bad."_

 _Seniors were allowed to go off-campus for lunch if they had a vehicle – a policy proposed by the student government to address both the overcrowding problem that occurred during lunch and complaints about the lack of variety in food options._

 _The idea of leaving Angel Grove High for even a little bit today was incredibly appealing to the pink ranger._

 _"Fine."_

 _They pulled out of the school parking lot and headed down 10th street, stopping at a local sandwich shop Kim had never noticed before. Tommy climbed out of his truck and went inside the building, coming out a few minutes later with two large sandwiches and bottled drinks. He handed her their lunch and headed back on the road to his house where they stopped to eat._

 _Kim was pleasantly surprised when she bit into her sandwich. It was a turkey, bacon, and swiss sandwich that had everything she loved on it – even the choice of Everything bread was spot on. She eyed the green ranger dubiously._

 _"What?" he asked, setting down a bag of salt and vinegar potato chips on the table between them._

 _"Is this one of their signature sandwiches?"_

 _He raised an eyebrow. "No, I had them make it."_

 _"It's really good." She stared at him, curiosity dancing in her eyes. "How did you know what I wanted without asking me?"_

 _"Because believe it or not, I actually pay attention to the things you say and do," he said sarcastically. "Well, on occasion."_

 _She rolled her eyes, though she couldn't hide the smile that curled her lips._

 _Tommy wolfed down the rest of his Italian sub, famished from not having any breakfast after his intense training session that morning with Scorpina. He chugged down his Pepsi, letting out a loud burp that made the pink ranger grimace._

 _"Gross."_

 _"Now…" He stretched his arms before resting them on the table, popping a chip into his mouth. "What the hell is going on with you?"_

 _Thirty minutes later, all of the feelings Kim had been trying to keep at bay had finally bubbled to the surface. She lay on the couch with her feet in Tommy's lap while he rubbed her legs, his right foot propped up on the coffee table. He was cycling through the channels on the TV, searching for something good to watch._

 _"Ugh." Kim ran her hands over face. "I just can't believe he thinks it's a good idea to have another child, especially with that woman. And he had the nerve to think I'd be_ happy _about it."_

 _He stopped on MTV where a marathon of top twenty something music videos was in progress. He rubbed circles into the flesh of her calf and sighed._

 _"Okay." The green ranger tossed the remote onto the coffee table. "You've been stressing over this all day." His eyes trailed over her body. "You need a break."_

 _He climbed on top of her, nudging her legs open so he could fit between them. Calloused fingers reached under her top to fondle her breasts as he kissed his way down her stomach, though to his annoyance, Kim barely reacted to his ministrations._

 _"He can hardly handle being a dad now."_

 _"Maybe this…" He dipped his tongue into her bellybutton. "…is his way of trying to get it right."_

 _Kimberly shook her head. "But Kenny and I weren't worth the effort?" she asked angrily._

 _Tommy sat up hooked his fingers in the waistband of her skirt, dragging it down her thighs and off her legs. He tossed it over the edge of the couch._

 _"So, what's your solution then? Give the kid up for adoption? Maybe you could even trick your dad into getting a vasectomy," he said, her panties in between his teeth as he tugged them down her legs. "Because that would be, you know… problem solved."_

 _Kim frowned when she picked up on his sarcasm._

 _"Sorry…" She looked down when he ran his hands up and down her thighs. "I guess I'm just not really in the mood today."_

 _Tommy kissed his way up her body again, a hand sliding between her thighs. He dipped his fingers between her folds and found some wetness there._

 _"Feels like you are to me," he said huskily._

 _"What's he even gonna say when this kid asks about his other family?" she continued as if he hadn't spoken. "How's he gonna explain what happened with us?"_

 _The green ranger exhaled loudly in frustration and looked away from her._

 _"They're going to have questions about why we have – "_

 _"All right." Tommy cupped a hand over her mouth. "You really have to be quiet now."_

 _Her eyes trailed down to his hand then back up to lock eyes._

 _"You_ clearly _need to chill the fuck out. I only got twenty minutes before we have to head back to school, so this is what's gonna happen." He reached down with his free hand to undo his belt and unzipped his jeans, pushing them and his boxers down his hips. "You're gonna shut up about this, and I'm gonna fuck you until you aren't mad anymore."_

 _She blinked at him and spoke, voice muffled. "The blinds are still op – "_

 _"I said shut up." He pushed her thighs further apart, the head of his cock pressed against her entrance. "I know they're open, but you're gonna let me fuck you anyway."_

 _The green ranger sucked on her neck as he guided himself into her. Kimberly gasped against his hand, eyes fluttering closed._

 _"Mmm," he moaned. "You feel that?"_

 _Kimberly nodded, eyes now a darker shade of brown._

 _"Feels good, doesn't it?" She nodded again. "I know it does."_

 _Tommy pushed her top up, exposing her breasts. He took the left one into his mouth, suckling it hungrily before releasing it with a soft pop._

 _"Now relax… close your eyes." He rocked his hips against hers, making her arch her back. He grabbed her legs and lifted them up onto his shoulders so that the backs of her thighs were against his chest. Tommy placed his right hand back over her mouth and braced the left against the armrest above her head. They didn't have a lot of time, and this position was the fastest way to get her off._

 _"I'm gonna do all the work… you just cum."_

 _Whitney Houston's "I'm Your Baby Tonight" started playing from the tv. The song was one of Kim's favorites, and she was surprised to find that the upbeat tempo was actually helping to increase her arousal._

 _Tommy pushed in all the way, and she moaned, biting on the fingers still covering her mouth. He gave a sharp thrust that made her groan loudly, head rolling back against the cushions._

 _"That's it..." he breathed as he worked himself into her again and again. "Give it to me…"_

 _He rotated his hips and the pink ranger gave a startled gasp, and he knew he found the spot he was looking for. Tommy started fucking her harder, the couch straining under their vigorous movements. Her left hand was tangled in his long locks, pulling them free from the tight ponytail. Her right hand fisted the sleeve of his shirt, stretching out the fabric from how hard she tugged and clawed at him._

 _Kimberly squirmed and sobbed into his palm each time he surged into her, her heavy moans quickly evolving into screams. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she gasped, legs trembling against his torso as a hard climax rolled through her. The green ranger grinned at the wetness now on his stomach and thighs from her orgasm._

 _"Good girl."_

 _She whimpered when he continued to thrust hard and deep into her quivering walls._

 _"Tommy! Please… please – AH!" she cried out, voice muffled by his palm._

 _She wasn't sure if she begging him to stop or keep going but it didn't really matter. They still had eleven minutes left, and he was determined to make every second count._

The pink ranger flushed slightly as she remembered their passionate afternoon romp on his living room couch. Tommy had been right on the money about her needing a stress-reliever, and his solution of multiple orgasms had certainly done the trick.

She could _definitely_ go for another one of those types of stress-relievers today. Sex was never at the center of her universe, but she couldn't deny she missed it after nearly a year of without it.

Her thoughts shifted to the green ranger then and a surge of conflicting emotions welled up inside of her.

She hadn't spoken to or heard from Tommy since the day he came to her following the Siege of Washington D.C. She'd been so angry after what he'd done to Zack that she could barely stand being around him. That coupled with learning the truth of what Jason had done to him had pushed her to leave the planet just to get away from him and all the drama he brought into her life.

That was over two months ago, and despite her best intentions to forget about him, he was never too far from her thoughts.

She was still angry with him, though it had waned with time. Zack was on his way to a full recovery, and since moving to KO-35, she hadn't heard anything about Tommy or the green ranger to be upset about.

On the one hand, it was a relief – being angry with him usually proved to be both futile and draining, so no news was good news in a sense.

On the other hand, the part of Kim that still cared about the bastard was growing increasingly more concerned.

Tommy had never gone this long without talking to her before without good reason. Even when he'd left for the KAX Union, he had made sure to let her know beforehand that he was taking off.

Kim bit her bottom lip worriedly.

What if something _bad_ had happened to him?

He did say something about taking down Zedd. What if he really _did_ go through with his plan but it didn't work out?

She shook her head. Someone would have told her by now, right? Andros or Zhane or Trini… they wouldn't keep something like that from her.

Still… it'd certainly explain why he hadn't tried to contact her since she left.

 _'Oh god,'_ she thought in horror. _'What if he's dead?'_

And more to the point, why did she care?

"Oi, Kimberly!"

The pink ranger looked up to see Jax's sons, Lukor and Drex, enter the room.

"I didn't know you were coming in today," Drex said happily. Lukor shot his brother a knowing glance and shook his head.

The younger man had a huge crush on the pink ranger, going so far as to even ask her out on a date a few weeks ago. He had taken it well when Kimberly turned him down, despite his obvious disappointment.

Drex was very handsome and an absolute sweetheart, and under any other circumstances, Kimberly probably would have considered going on that date with him. With everything going on in her life, though, she just didn't have the time or interest to devote to starting any new romantic relationships.

Besides, the only man she wanted in her life right now was Ryan.

"I wasn't planning to, but I just needed to get out of the house today."

"Is Leera watching Ryan?" Lukor asked as he rummaged through the refrigerator.

"Yeah."

He downed his drink. "So, you're on break now?"

"Have a headache," she said miserably. "Just waiting for it to go away."

"And we're probably making things worse," Drex said with a wince. "Sorry, Kim. We'll be quick."

"It's fine," she whispered, closing her eyes.

Drex grabbed a bag from his father's office, and the two headed for the door. Before exiting, Lukor pulled out a small package from his bag and set it on the couch next to the pink ranger.

Kim opened her eyes and frowned. "What's this?"

"Package came for you at the base," he said. "I was going to stop by your house later to give it to you, but since you're here…"

She picked up the box with interest. "Thanks."

He nodded. "Come on, Drex."

The pink ranger waited until they left before opening the package. It was a blue and gray rectangular box that was about the size of her hand. The box was covered in strange markings she couldn't understand, and on one side of it was a large silver button. There was a piece of paper taped to the button with the words "PUSH ME" scribbled on top.

She smiled when she recognized it as Trini's handwriting.

Kimberly pushed the button and gasped when a beam of light shot out, eventually splitting into several four smaller beams that rearranged themselves into a square like a television screen. Trini's face appeared in the center.

"Hey Kim!" Trini said. "I know we've been missing each other's calls for a while now, so I thought maybe a video would be better."

Tears stung the pink ranger's eyes upon seeing her best friend.

"Jason showed us the pictures of you and the baby. Ryan definitely has your eyes. He's so adorable, Kim – I can't wait to meet him!" Trini ran her fingers through her hair. "Things are a little busy now, but as soon as I get the chance, I'm heading to KO-35 to visit you and the baby. It's been too long since I've seen you."

"Don't think you're going without me."

Rustling was heard and suddenly the camera changed angles to show a beaming Zack sitting beside Trini.

"Hi Kim!"

She started full-on crying when she saw him. The last time she'd seen Zack he was comatose in the medical bay. Seeing him awake and smiling was such a relief.

"Ryan won't know what hit him when he finally meets the Zack-man," the black ranger joked. "Just promise you won't hate me when Uncle Zack becomes his favorite."

She rolled her eyes. Same old Zack.

"I can't wait to see you, too, Kim," he said, tone no longer joking. "When I woke up, they told me you left for KO-35…" His expression grew sad. "I know why you did it, but… I miss you."

Kim wiped her eyes and sniffled. _'I miss you, too.'_

" _Clearly,_ we have a lot catch up on the next time we see each other," he said with a chuckle. "I'm looking forward to it."

Zack furrowed his brows and turned to look at something behind the camera. "What?"

He shook his head. "Just ask her yourself. Come here."

Kim heard the sound of approaching footsteps and grinned when Billy came into view. He stood behind Trini and Zack.

"Hello, Kimberly," he said. "I hope the transition to life on KO-35 has gone smoothly for you and your son." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and gave a soft smile. "You are sorely missed."

Billy cleared his throat. "I asked if any modifications needed to be made to the devices I gave you before you left. I believe Alpha and I have discovered some areas of improvement that would be most beneficial for you."

Kimberly grinned. She didn't realize how much she missed Billy's unique way of speaking until now.

"Progress has been slow, but I believe at our current pace, we should be able to get these modifications to you within the next month."

Kim heard the familiar six-tone chime of their communicators.

"Damn." Trini sighed. "Sorry, Kim, looks like Zordon needs us."

"But no worries," Zack reassured her. "We're definitely going to contact you again. Count on it."

Billy nodded in agreement.

The three of them waved goodbye to her. "Love you, Kimberly, we'll talk soon! Give Ryan a kiss for us!"

The video went black, and the beams of light retracted back into the box.

While Kim was disappointed at how short the video was, she was grateful to have it nonetheless. Seeing her friends again had lifted the dark cloud that'd been hanging over her all day, and the headache she'd been fighting was now fading into a distant memory.

She jumped when the door to the break room flew open.

" – trust that boy to do anything right," Jax mumbled. "Where did he – Kim, are you okay?"

The blond man noticed the tear streaks on her face and instantly grew concerned.

"I'm fine, Jax. Great, actually," she said with a sniffle, wiping her face. "I think I'm ready to go back to work now."

"You sure?"

Kim looked down at the video in her hands again. Her lips curled into a smile when she remembered her friends' smiling faces.

"Positive."

* * *

 **Hart Residence (Eastern Grasslands Home of Stevros and Jenanthia)**

 **Front Porch**

 **KO-35**

 **Weeks later, Local time, Early Evening**

The pink ranger winced as she rubbed her arm, the spot still sore from where Dr. Prenjak had given her the contraceptive shot. The doctor recommended that she take the shot in order to help get her cycle regular again, but she never told Kim it'd hurt so damn much.

She walked up the steps of the porch and took out her key, entering the modest home.

"Hello? Leera?"

"Kim!" A girl with brown eyes and waist-length blonde hair stepped out of the kitchen with Ryan in her arms. "You're home early."

The pink ranger closed the front door and headed towards them. "Yeah, my appointment went quicker than I expected."

She reached out for her son, scooping him up into her arms. "Hello, baby boy."

Kimberly pressed kisses over his face and laughed when he reached for her.

"How was he today?" Ryan curled into Kimberly and continued sucking on his pacifier.

"Good, as always. I just fed him a few minutes ago and put him in a fresh diaper, so he should be all set." She leaned over and tickled his stomach. "I have to go Ryan, but I'll be back soon. Have fun with your mom."

He grabbed her finger and squeezed, pulling a laugh from Leera.

"Goodnight, Kim."

"Night, Leera, and thank you again."

The blonde shook her head. "It's never a problem, Kim," she said before heading out the front door. She stopped on the way out and turned back to face the pink ranger. "Forgot to mention, you got a package from Andros."

"Really? I didn't know he was on KO-35."

"He isn't," Leera said. "He and Zhane were headed to some super-secret mission, but he dropped something off for you at the base since KO-35 was along the way. Klasiah gave it to me since she knew I was babysitting today. I left it on the kitchen counter."

"Thanks."

Kim watched her leave before heading to the kitchen where a white package with her name on it sat on the counter. She picked it up and carried it into the living room.

Kimberly turned back to the little boy in her arms. "What do you think it is, Ryan? Another gift from your aunt Trini?"

He spat out his pacifier and babbled as he tried to put her translator necklace in his mouth. He wasn't quite able to coordinate his movements yet, so it kept falling out of his hand.

"Well, I can tell you definitely missed that." She pulled the necklace away from him and gave him back his pacifier. "That's not for you, baby."

She sat them down on the couch with a sigh. Ryan continued grabbing at her necklace unsuccessfully.

Kim watched him with amused eyes. "You're just gonna keep trying, aren't you?"

The infant eventually gave up on her necklace and focused his attention on her hair, leaning forward to take the strands into his mouth. She shifted him around so that he was laying on his back against her thighs. Kim tickled his stomach playfully and laughed when he started to get excited.

She turned her attention back to the white package. "Wanna see what we got?"

The pink ranger opened the package and grinned wide when she saw it was another video message. She'd received several from her friends back on Earth, though it was a little strange to get one so soon since the last one arrived – not that she minded, of course.

Kim pushed the silver button and watched the beams of light shoot out. She sat Ryan up so that his back was against her front.

"You ready?" she asked excitedly, taking his hands in hers and shaking them around. He kicked his feet in response.

All of her happiness disappeared, however, when instead of her friends staring back at her, she saw Tommy Oliver.

Very much alive… and on the Astro Megaship?

"What the – ?"

"My name… my name is Thomas James Oliver. Green ranger and commander for the Dark Empire." He stared down at something in his hand. "And this message is for Kimberly Ann Hart..."

Her heart sped up at the mention of her name, and she chided herself for that reaction. Kim glowered at him instead. "What the hell is this?"

"You're probably wondering what this is… no doubt glaring at the screen wondering what the hell I'm up to."

She rolled her eyes, annoyed to see that he still knew her so well.

He chuckled lightly. "The truth is I'm not even really sure."

Tommy ran his hands through his hair. "The last time we spoke wasn't the way I wanted to leave things between us. And with everything going on, I just need to talk to you. Even if it's through this stupid video."

She cracked a smile at that. She _knew_ he hadn't given up on trying to reach her.

The baby fidgeted in her lap, and she pressed a kiss against the top of his head.

"You see that man right there?" she whispered. "That's your daddy."

Ryan reached for the video as if to grab Tommy.

The green ranger took a deep breath. "I'm working with Andros to take down Zedd from the inside. That's why I'm on the Astro Megaship and why he's the one who's going to give you this video. Jason and the Time Force Rangers are in on it, too… and Zordon."

Her eyes widened in surprise. So, he was telling the truth about Zedd? And Andros, Jason, _and_ Zordon were working with him? How big was this operation?

Tommy smiled slightly. "I told you before I was serious about taking him down, and you didn't believe me…with good reason. But ever since you left, I've worked with them to help dismantle his empire in coordinated attacks across the galaxy using the information I've been able to steal from him. We've been making a lot of progress, and I won't stop until that bastard is gone."

"He's doing it," she said in disbelief. She looked down at Ryan and rubbed his stomach. "Your daddy's actually doing it. This is… _wow_ …"

Tommy looked down at the object in his hand again. "I-I'm not sure I'm going to survive this, Kimberly, and in case I don't – "

Disbelief gave way to intense worry. He wasn't going to survive? Did something go wrong with the mission? Was Zedd already on to him? Why weren't the rangers doing more to ensure his safety?

His voice hitched. "I just want you to know that I did everything in my power to protect you and our son." He sniffled. "That I fought until the very end for the only family I have left… a-and that I love you."

If the news that he was working to take down Zedd was a shock, then his confession was a kick to the gut. It wasn't that she didn't know he felt that way – Kim had always known that Tommy loved her without hearing the words. She just never expected him to ever grow a pair and admit it.

Early on, she used to imagine how it would feel to hear him say those words, but as time went on, it became clear that the green ranger would never be able to bring himself to say them. With the lies and betrayal thrown in the mix, Kim was sure even if he did muster up the courage to tell her, she wouldn't give a damn because too much had happened between them.

It was annoying to discover after all they'd been through, those three words still meant something to her.

Tommy chuckled. "That's the one thing you've always wanted me to say, and the first time I do it is when I'm about to die. Life's funny that way, I guess." His smiled faded away. "But I mean it – I love you. I love our son…I don't know what I would do if I lost either of you." He wiped his eyes. "I just – I just wanted you to know in case… in case I don't get a chance to…" He clenched his jaw tightly. "Goodbye, Kimberly."

The video went black, signaling that it had ended.

The pink ranger sat silently on the couch, so many thoughts and emotions running through her that she felt paralyzed.

Ryan tipped over slightly in her lap, and she realized he had fallen asleep. Almost mechanically, Kim picked him up and took him into her room where she lay him on his back in his bassinet. After double-checking that he was okay, she headed back into the living and sat on the couch. She took a deep breath and reached for the device again, playing the video for a second time.

This time around, the initial shock that left her feeling numb was replaced by a deep rage that left her trembling.

How _dare_ he do this to her? No word from him for months, and the first thing she hears from him is _this_? _Now_ he wants to be true to his word and actually fight for the good guys? _Now_ he can man up and tell her how he feels? _Now_ he wants to protect his family?

The more she thought on it, the more she felt like punching the green ranger in the throat. Things were just getting on track for her on KO-35 – it wasn't fair of him to drop all of this on her now.

And the icing on the cake was that when he finally – _finally_ – decides to do everything she'd practically begged him to do months ago, he has the nerve to follow it up with 'oh by the way, I'm going to die', as if that was acceptable.

It wasn't fair for him to do this to her – to turn her world upside down and then plan to abandon her. Again.

Kim exhaled loudly and ran her fingers through the hair.

He should've just stayed gone.

Never hearing from him again would've been less painful and infuriating than hearing everything she'd wanted from him with the realization that she could never have it.

"Dammit," she whispered angrily.

All of the effort she put into burying the love, anger, and anxiety that came from having Tommy in her life since she moved to KO-35, and his video had just ruined it in less than five minutes.

The pink ranger stood up and paced the living room floor, mind racing a mile a minute. The smart thing to do would be to pretend like she'd never received his video. If he had truly resolved himself to dying, then nothing was going to change.

So why couldn't she just let this go?

Footsteps on the porch caught her attention, and she raised an eyebrow when she saw Jason walk through the front door.

"Hey," he said, taking off his jacket and hanging it on the coat rack. "Where's Ryan?"

"Sleeping," she said, arms crossed over her chest. "What are you doing here?"

"I told you I would be back this week. Don't you remember?"

She didn't. "Right… well, you've come at just the right time."

Jason furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

She pointed at the package she received. "Look familiar?"

The red ranger walked over and picked up the device. "Is this one of Trini's videos?"

"It's a video, but it's not Trini's." She pushed the silver button, and the video began to play.

Jason's eyes narrowed upon seeing the green ranger, and he took a seat on the couch. Kim watched his reaction carefully,

" – don't get a chance to… Goodbye, Kimberly," Tommy finished before the video went black once again.

Jason's nostrils flared. "Who gave this to you?"

"Andros," she said. "What the _hell_ is going on, Jason?"

He rubbed his forehead wearily. "Kim…"

"The truth," she hissed.

The red ranger sighed in defeat and told her everything, from what he knew of Tommy's first meeting with Andros to their strategy meetings in the pocket dimension.

" – closest we've ever come to defeating Zedd. I think we might actually be able to win this, Kim."

"And Tommy?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"

"Is no one protecting him?" she asked incredulously. "He's convinced he's going to die, Jason. You have to do something."

"There's nothing I can do," he said softly. "Tommy knew the risks when he came to us to take down Zedd. All we can do is hope that we make enough progress before Zedd figures out what he's been up to."

"So, you're just going to let him die?" she hissed.

"What happens to him is not my concern, and frankly, it shouldn't be yours either." He stood up. "Why do you care what happens to him? He _ruined_ our lives!"

"He's the father of my child, Jason!"

He blinked. "I thought that was supposed to be me."

Jason had slowly started coming around to the idea of Ryan being his son over the last few weeks. It had taken a lot of effort to think of him as "Ryan" and not "Tommy's son", but once he did, he found that he enjoyed spending time with the baby.

All of that progress seemed like a distant memory now.

The pink ranger clenched her jaw and looked away. Jason watched her with narrowed eyes.

"You care about him," he realized. "After everything he's done, you still care about what happens to your _precious_ Tommy." He ran his hands over his face and chuckled dryly. "Un- _fucking_ -believable..."

"Jason…"

The red ranger clenched his fists in anger. "Jesus, what the hell is _wrong_ with you, Kim?"

"Excuse me?"

"I don't understand you," he said seriously. "You said you hated him. You left Earth to get away from him and his bullshit. You went as far to tell everyone I'm Ryan's father to give you the safety that you claimed you needed – but this asshole sends you _one_ video, and all that's out the window now?"

"I never asked you to tell anyone you were Ryan's father, okay? _You_ volunteered."

"Yeah, and you didn't refuse," he pointed out.

"Why would I?!" she asked incredulously. "It keeps him safe, and I'll do whatever I have to in order to make sure he stays that way."

"Except let Tommy go apparently," he said bitterly, repressed jealousy and hurt bubbling up to the surface. "Silly of me to think that was ever really an option, but I guess I should've known that was asking for too much from you. He does one good thing after all the shit he's put us through, and you think that rights _all_ his wrongs." He shook his head. "I can see why you need to believe that – how else can you justify caring for a selfish, homicidal psychopath."

Kim bristled at his indignant tone. "You know what, Jason? _Fuck_ _you!_ "

He reared back as if she'd slapped him.

"I am _done_ with this victim bullshit you have going on," she sneered. "Tommy thinks he's going to _die_ , and all you can do is bitch about the fact that I'm _concerned_ about him? Do you hear how selfish you sound? For fucks sake, _get over your issues with Tommy and stop making everything about you!_ You would think you'd have learned your lesson by now given how things turned out the last time you pulled this shit!"

The red ranger looked down, shame etched deep into his face at the realization that he was once again falling prey to the same petty instincts that landed them all in this situation in the first place.

"Yes, I cheated on you with Tommy, and yes, he's Ryan's father." He flinched at that. "None of that's going to change anytime soon, so if you can't handle it, you need to leave."

"Leave?" he repeated slowly. "You'd really make me to do that?"

" _I'm_ not the one forcing anything – that's you!" Kim pressed a hand to her forehead, suddenly feeling very drained. "I want you in my life, Jason. We've been friends for too long for me to just give up on that, but if you can't move past this…"

She never finished her sentence, but the implication was clear. Kim had long ago accepted that she was wrong for what she did to Jason and knew he had every right to be angry, but things have changed and she was a mother now.

His feelings were not a priority for her anymore.

"I just want to know what's being done to keep him safe," she said softly as she took a seat on the couch. "You saw the video – he really thinks he's not gonna make it. You can't just let that happen."

The red ranger stared at her for a long time before speaking softly. "When Rita took Tommy, I didn't do what I should have to protect him, and now we're all paying the price." He looked down. "I promise you, I won't make the same mistake twice."

Kim studied him closely, searching his face for any sign that he was being insincere and finding none.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"But Kim…" Jason shook his head. "The situation is getting harder to handle every day. He's safe for now, but once Zedd finds out… I don't know how much we can do to help him."

She nodded tearfully. Jason turned and headed for the coat rack, grabbing his jacket.

"Where are you going?" she asked when he opened the front door. The red ranger gave a tight smile.

"You made it pretty clear what my options were… so I'm leaving."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Jason…"

He held up a hand. "I'll be back, but I just need time to myself. Away from…" He motioned around the room. "…all of this."

She bit her bottom lip. "Okay."

The red ranger paused on his way out. "Can I ask you something, and you promise to tell me the truth?"

"What is it?"

"You're still in love with him, aren't you?"

Her breath hitched. "W-Why would you ask me that?"

"You know why," he said tersely. "Are you?"

Her nostrils flared in response, but she said nothing. The tick in her jaw told him what she couldn't say out loud.

"Right." He looked down. "And me?"

The pink ranger's mouth opened and closed several times, but she was unable to find the right words.

"Jason…"

"I see," he said, brown eyes filled with hurt and grudging acceptance. He stepped outside and turned back to face her. "Goodbye, Kimberly."

Kim exhaled loudly when he closed the door, tears stinging her eyes as she felt their relationship shift yet again. Since their breakup, there had been a mix of love, hate, and confusion between them as they tried to figure out what they were to each other.

Now it seemed they at least knew what they _weren't_.

She groaned and ran a hand over her face. Jesus, this was such a mess. Why did the men in her life always have to find new and creative ways to fuck everything up?

Kimberly knew the proper thing to do would be to go after him and explain, but she just didn't have that kind of energy at the moment – and truthfully, she felt _relieved._ Now that it was finally out in the open, they could move beyond this awkwardness and work on building a new relationship with each other.

Or at least, that's what _she_ hoped. She supposed Jason would just have to work through his feelings on the matter on his own.

Soft little cries from her bedroom forced the pink ranger into action, and she headed over to her son who was now wide awake. She picked him up and cradled him to her chest, giving him his pacifier so that he would stop crying.

He fisted her shirt as she rocked him and curled into her. She brushed away the tears around his eyes.

"Somebody missed their mommy, huh?" she murmured, a soothing hand rubbing circles into his back. Ryan continued sucking on his pacifier.

Kim pressed a kiss to the top of his head and headed back into the living room. Her eyes fell on the video that Tommy sent her, and she frowned. Feelings of anger and concern were warring inside of her as she thought about the green ranger.

"Asshole," she whispered as she smoothed out her son's curls. "Please be okay."

* * *

 **District 16 Consumer Warehouse**

 **KO-35**

 **Weeks later, Local time, Early Afternoon**

"This one?"

Kim shook her head. "A little more to the left."

The man reached over as instructed. "This?"

"Yes." He pulled the box down and sat it in the cart. "Thank you."

He nodded. "Can I help you with anything else?"

Kim bit her lip as she scanned her list. "I should be good now. I just need to get another pack of baby formula. That's usually on the lower shelves."

Today was errands day, and Kim was knocking off the third item in her to-do list – shopping. Ryan was small, but the little boy ran through diapers and formula like they were water. Kim found herself needing to replenish supplies quite often. Drex and Lukor and had shown her different places she could go to in town, and the consumer warehouse in district 16 was one of her favorite places to shop. The place had almost everything she could ever need in one location at great prices.

The pink ranger turned down the next aisle and headed straight for the end, grabbing the pack of baby formula that Ryan liked. Weaning him off of breast milk had been a complete pain in the ass. Ryan only liked one brand of formula, and naturally, it was the most expensive brand that was sold in the smallest quantity.

She pushed her cart into the checkout line and unloaded her items. The machine automatically scanned and bagged the items for her, and not for the first time, she wished some of the KOan technology existed back on Earth.

Kim paid for her things and left the large store, piling everything into the trunk of the hovercar Andros loaned her.

She kicked the front door open once she made it home and waddled into the house, arms burning from the weight of her purchases. She placed them on the ground and groaned, stretching out her muscles before heading back to close the front door.

Time passed by quickly for the pink ranger as she put everything away. She smiled when she finally came upon the last item, and she happily placed the case of diapers on the dresser in the nursery.

Kimberly checked her watch. She still had a few more hours before she needed to pick Ryan up from Leera's house.

"Might as well get the laundry out of the way," she murmured, heading back into the utility room.

Nearly an hour later, the pink ranger hummed softly to herself as she folded her son's clothes, placing the onesies in a neat pile on the nearby table. It always amused her how tiny his clothes were compared to hers, as if they were meant for a doll.

"Anyone home?"

Kim frowned at the familiar voice. "Andros, is that you?" she called out. She hadn't even heard him come in.

She put down the onesie she was folding and headed out of the laundry room.

"It is," she heard him answer. "And I've brought you a surprise."

As far as she knew, Andros wasn't scheduled to be back on KO-35 for at least two more weeks. His visit was unexpected but welcome nonetheless.

"Really? I love surprises!" she said excitedly as she rushed into the living room. Her ardent stride came to a halt when she spotted the green ranger standing next to Andros.

Of all the surprises Andros could have brought her, Tommy Oliver in the flesh hadn't even registered as a possibility.

All at once, her mind was swarming with questions. How was he still alive? Why did Andros bring him here? Was he in danger? Was _she_ in danger because he was here? Should she bring up the video he made? Was he going to ask about Ryan?

Unfortunately for her, her brain was working faster than she could speak, so she only managed to stutter his name in shock.

"T-Tommy?"

The first thing she noticed while studying him was that his frame was a bit bulkier, as if he'd put on more muscle. He had a five-o-clock shadow, and his hair was shorter than she remembered, now a pile of messy curls on his head with an undercut.

"Kimberly… uh, hi," he said.

Her heart fluttered like crazy when he said her name, and she _hated_ it.

Andros moved further into the house, diffusing some of the tension in the room. "I can't stay long. I'm just dropping him off." He peeked his head into the nursery. "Where's Ryan?"

"He's with Leera. She's watching him so I can run some errands today," she said absently, her eyes never leaving Tommy's form.

She shot Andros a disbelieving look when he approached her, but he shook his head.

"Listen to what he has to say," he mumbled in her ear as he gave her a quick hug.

Andros headed for the door. "Talk to him," he mouthed before leaving them in tense silence.

The green ranger fidgeted nervously. "So…"

She stood with her arms crossed over her chest protectively. "What are you doing here?"

"Andros said that I could crash at a place his family owns nearby while I'm in town." He shrugged. "I didn't know you would be here."

"Right." The pink ranger gazed coolly at the duffel bag in his hand. "Well, don't get too comfortable. You're not staying."

Tommy sighed. "Don't do that. Please."

"Do what?"

"You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about. I don't need the attitude right now, all right? I've had a rough couple of days."

"Oh, poor Tommy," she sneered. "That's not my problem."

Fighting with him felt good – _safe_. Anger allowed her to keep him at a distance, and she had _plenty_ of reasons to be pissed off with the green ranger.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can you maybe wait five minutes before jumping down my throat? We haven't seen each other in a long time, Kim."

"And whose fault is that?" she hissed.

Tommy threw her an incredulous look. "If I remember correctly, _you_ told me not to come back, so you don't get to be mad that I didn't!" He tossed the duffel bag onto the floor with a scowl. "And it's not like I was partying it up out there. I was working to take down Zedd, putting my life on the line to protect you… didn't you watch the video?"

Her heart thudded in her chest at the mention of the video. She hadn't expected him to bring it up so soon. She pushed down the happiness that threatened to break through and clung desperately to her fading anger.

"I did, but I'm not stupid enough to believe you were trying to protect _me._ " Kimberly made a derisive noise. "You're protecting you – you're _always_ protecting you."

"It's not like that," he argued.

"Bullshit. People like you can't change, Tommy."

"And people like _you_ don't give others enough credit."

Kim laughed, already anticipating his indignant response. "What credit is due? You're the same selfish bastard you've always been."

She saw Tommy open his mouth to say something but he stopped himself. The pink ranger raised an eyebrow.

"No, you know what? I'm not doing this with you. You wanna fight? Find someone else. You saw the video. You how I feel. You know the truth – I have nothing else to say."

She hadn't expected that response. Tommy was always easy to rile up – him taking the high road was not part of the plan.

"Whatever." Kimberly turned away from him and headed for the door. "Like I said, don't get comfortable. I'm going to find Andros and – "

He grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. She gasped at the contact, surprised by the shock that went through her system.

Kimberly stared at his hand. "Let go of me."

"No," he growled. He moved closer, using his superior height to tower over her. "And I'm not going anywhere."

She swallowed hard, painfully aware of their proximity and finding it hard to breathe. The two engaged in a silent battle of wills, staring each other down until Kim finally averted her gaze and nodded.

"Fine, you can stay," she said tersely. "Now take your hand off of me."

He loosened his grip but still held her to him. "What if I don't want to?"

His fingers trailed down to her hand slowly, the pad of his thumb grazing the sensitive skin on the inside of her wrist. Her pulse sped up from the contact.

"Stop," she said quietly, forcing her voice not to sound shaky.

 _'Move your arm, Kim. Don't let him touch you,'_ her voice said inside her head. _'Take control of the situation.'_

But even as she willed herself to break free of him, her body just wouldn't listen.

Kim inhaled sharply when the green ranger turned her hand over in his and twined their fingers together. He tugged her forward so that she was almost pressed against him, and he placed his hand on her hip. Anger, lust, happiness, and shame all swirled inside of her, causing her to tremble when his arm curled around her waist.

Tommy pulled her into his arms, and she immediately tensed up when his hands found the small of her back. She was stuck between shoving him off of her and melting in his arms, her mind and body at odds with each other. He rested his chin on top of her head, large hands running comfortingly up and down her back until the tension slowly eased from her.

"I hate you," she whispered into his shirt.

She hated him for still knowing her so well, and she hated herself for being pleased that he remembered.

"I know," he said, pulling back and cupping her face. Tommy pressed his forehead against hers intimately, eyes closed while he breathed her in. Small hands gripped his shirt tightly.

"But I also know you missed this," he said quietly. "Me holding you."

Her breathing grew heavy. She didn't realize how much she missed being in his arms until now.

"Tommy…"

"Being with you." He nuzzled his nose against hers until she turned away from him.

 _'You're stronger than this, Kimberly.'_

Kimberly covered his hands with hers and removed them from her face.

"Stop it," she whispered fiercely. She was losing the tight hold she had on her emotions.

He curled his hands around hers, refusing to break his connection with her.

"Being inside you," he continued, causing her to close her eyes briefly and gasp from the vivid memories. "I know because I missed it, too."

Unshed tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. Fuck, she _really_ missed him – the conversations, the sex, hell even arguing with him.

 _'God dammit.'_

Slowly, he walked them forward, pinning her between his body and the wall, all the while never breaking eye contact. She could feel his erection nudging her stomach and grew excited. The two of them stayed like that for some time, pressed together intimately while they studied each other's features. Kimberly licked her lips and tucked the bottom one between her teeth in anticipation.

Tommy leaned down and kissed her slowly, teasing her lips apart with his. She gasped against his mouth, allowing him to suck and bite at her lips for only a moment before turning away from him.

It was their first kiss in months, and she had to fight to keep from drowning in the flames it sparked within her.

 _'You're supposed to make better choices, Kimberly,'_ she chided herself.

Tommy cupped the sides of her face and kissed her passionately, breaking only for quick breaths. She dug her nails into his hands, pulling a hoarse moan from him.

"What?" he rasped impatiently when she pulled back from him.

"Tommy, I… _shit_." She sighed when he leaned down again, grazing his teeth against her jaw.

Dammit, was he always this good of a kisser?

"Shut up," he whispered. He brushed his lips against hers, pulling her lip into his mouth. She gripped his shirt tightly and moaned when he sucked on her tongue. The green ranger broke the kiss, forehead pressed against hers. Kim closed her eyes as she tried to catch her breath.

This was escalating way too quickly. She needed to slow this down before things went too far.

She gasped into his mouth when he kissed her again, now pressed even harder up against the wall. She moaned when his kisses trailed from her lips to her neck, licking at the sensitive skin there.

 _'Fuck,'_ she thought, arching into him.

She missed being touched like this.

Calloused hands snaked beneath her tank top to cup her breasts, occasionally tweaking pebbled nipples and drawing a hiss from the pink ranger. She lifted her arms so he could take her shirt off, baring her chest to him. He took each breast into his mouth and suckled intently, stimulating her sensitive nipples. Kim's breath hitched each time his tongue flicked across a taut nipple, and she tugged hard at his curly hair when she felt the all-too-familiar pulse of arousal between her thighs.

Her breathing grew heavy when he descended her body, kissing wetly down her torso until he was lined up with her pelvis. He gripped her hips, twisting her around roughly so that her back was facing him. Long fingers undid the fly of her shorts and hooked into the waistband, yanking them and her panties down to gather on top of her sneakers.

She stepped out of her clothes and shoes. He teasingly nipped each cheek while his hand slid between her thighs, rubbing at her tender sex. A moment of clear-headedness hit her, and she grasped his hand tightly to prevent him from touching her. Tommy slowly reached around her and grabbed her wrists, lifting her hands and pinning them against the wall with his own.

His free hand slid between her thighs and teased her clit, making her grind against his fingers. He slipped his fingers inside of her, and she bit her lip at the sudden fullness. It'd been so long since she'd been touched so intimately by a hand that wasn't hers – she'd nearly forgotten how good it felt.

Kim whined and moaned as he fingered her, his digits twisting and curling relentlessly inside of her until she had no choice but to cum. Kim's legs quivered uncontrollably as a strong orgasm rocked her small frame, her forehead pressed against the wall as she struggled to catch her breath.

 _'Jesus…'_ She sagged against the wall tiredly.

She heard rustling behind her and realized the green ranger was undoing his jeans. He slid his cock along her sex, using the ridge of his shaft to stimulate her clit. She whined when his grinding became more forceful and began thrusting back against him. Tommy pressed his foot against the inside of hers to spread her legs wider, and she felt him press against her entrance. Kim bit her bottom lip, lust overriding reason as the anticipation of having him inside of her again became nearly unbearable.

Kimberly gasped and arched her back when the head of him pushed inside of her, her fingers reaching back to tangle in his hair. The green ranger pressed a wet kiss to her shoulder as he slowly slid in further, his length creating a delicious friction against her walls as she took him in. He gave a few tentative strokes to let her adjust to his size again. She whimpered his name and shivered, her hips rotating in tiny circles as she stretched around him.

He wrapped an arm around her waist, hauling her against him so that she was sitting on his thighs. He spread his legs a bit wider and tucked his face in her neck, groaning deep in the back of his throat from the pleasure. He took her rough and fast against the wall, pulling a breathless cry from the pink ranger after each thrust. Kim dug her nails into his arm and shuddered, her head rocking back against his shoulder as she sat astride him. He grabbed her hands and pinned them against the wall, applying enough pressure so that she couldn't break his hold.

Kim couldn't remember ever being this aroused before. Her walls quivered and clung to him with each glide of his cock, making her toes curl from the intense pleasure. He was filling her up over and over, almost more than she could take, but she didn't dare want him to stop. Sex and intimacy were things she'd found herself craving more and more here on KO-35, and this moment with Tommy was exactly what she needed. His hoarse grunts and ragged breaths in her ear… the solid weight of him behind her… the way he used his superior strength to pin her between him and the wall as he fucked her… all of it sent her closer towards that blissful edge.

Kim jerked to free her hands from his grip when nimble fingers slipped down to tease the bundle of nerves between her thighs, and she sobbed his name when he wouldn't stop. She came on his cock with a whimper, nails scratching desperately at the wall. Wet fingers slid up her trembling stomach to grab her breasts, leaving a trail of her slick essence on her skin.

"I can't… I…" He groaned in her ear, steadily pumping into her. "Can I cum inside you?"

"Yes," she breathed out around a moan, her mind a haze of pure pleasure. She reached back and wrapped her hand around the back of his neck.

"Yeah?" he asked. She nodded frantically in confirmation, damn near willing to agree to anything as long as he didn't stop fucking her. She idly thought it was a good thing she had started taking birth control – she didn't need another baby.

Tommy tightened his grip around her waist and gave a series of forceful lunges into her pussy. Kim gasped each time he slid into her, screaming when a particularly hard thrust pushed her right over the edge once more. He bit down on her shoulder and gave one final sharp thrust before moaning in pleasure into her back, teeth scraping the sweaty flesh. She felt him shiver and jerk against her as he rode out his climax.

Shakily, Tommy brushed her hair to one side and placed sloppy kisses along her face and neck. His hand slid lower to massage her breasts, tweaking her nipples gently one last time before pulling out of her.

He turned her around to face him, arms braced against the wall on either side of her head. She looked down and saw that he was still hard, and she bit her lip in anticipation.

As her high from the heated moment passed, the pink ranger felt an intense wave of shame roll over her. Tommy nuzzled her nose tenderly, barely brushing his lips against hers in the process. She turned away from him slightly to avoid his kiss, disappointed with herself for giving into him so quickly.

He nipped her bottom lip playfully in response, and it was so reminiscent of the way they used to be together that the only shred of restraint she had disappeared.

 _'God dammit,'_ she thought crossly before grabbing the back of his neck.

She pulled him down to meet her in a hard kiss. The green ranger scooped her up into his arms, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her down the hall towards her bedroom. She reached behind her distractedly when they got to her door, finding the open button on the door panel and slamming her hand against it.

They stumbled into her room when the door slid open, falling onto her bed in a heap of tangled limbs. Kim returned his heated kisses with equal passion, eyes fluttering in ecstasy when he pushed into her once more.

They'd already gone this far – she'd worry about the consequences later.

* * *

 **Jax's Place**

 **KO-35**

 **Next day, Local time, Mid-Afternoon**

 _"Can I ask you something?" she said breaking the comfortable silence._

 _He nodded._

 _"In your video… when you told me how you felt about me…" She traced a finger along the hair trailing from his bellybutton to his pubic bone. "Why couldn't you just tell me that before?"_

"Kim…"

 _"Because I was afraid," he admitted, thumb stroking her lower back. "I wasn't even sure I loved you at first, and then when I knew, it scared the shit out of me… and not just because of what Zedd could do if he found out." He reached around to grab her hand. "Loving you meant that my actions had consequences – I had someone I cared about that I could lose because of what I was doing…"_

 _"And you thought as long as you didn't admit how you felt, that gave you a free pass to do what you wanted," she finished, shaking her head. "You're an idiot."_

 _He looked away and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah…"_

"Hey… Kimberly… hello?"

 _"Wait… but Jason's still alive…" She furrowed her brow. "The only thing you've wanted is him dead. That never happened… so what made you change your mind about telling me?"_

 _"I gained some…_ perspective _on what I really wanted." He winced as if thinking of something unpleasant. "I realized I want Zedd gone, not Jason, and when I started working with Andros, something just sort of clicked for me one day. I realized… there's no way out of this for me." He chuckled ironically. "I'm going to die, Kim – maybe by Zedd's hand, maybe by the Eltarians. Either way, I'm going to die, and there's nothing I can do to change that." He sighed. "Once I was able to accept that, it just seemed silly to be afraid of anything else."_

"Kim!"

 _"I can't change what I've done, Kim. I know that I've hurt you, and I didn't handle things the way I should've." He twined their fingers together. "I wasn't there for you the way I should've been, but I'm trying to do the right thing now."_

"KIMBERLY!"

The pink ranger broke from her thoughts and grimaced at the drink now overflowing in the cup. Her right hand was covered in the sticky blue substance.

"Shit," she hissed, shutting the machine off.

"I'll take that," Drex said gently. "What's gotten into you? You've been distracted all day."

"Sorry," she murmured. She grabbed some napkins to clean up. "I just… have a lot on my mind."

"All right," he sighed. Drex grabbed her shoulders and led her over to the far counter. "You stay over here – take a short break. I'll handle drinks."

"Thanks," she whispered. He nodded and headed back to refill the order.

"You look like you're having one hell of a day."

Kim looked up to see Klasiah walking up to the counter. She normally stopped by the café for lunch.

"That would be an understatement," the pink ranger sighed. "You're here later than usual."

"Busy day today." Klasiah took a seat and waved at Lukor to signal for him to make her usual order. She shrugged off her jacket. "Wanna talk about it?"

Kim bit her lip as she considered the KOan's offer. Klasiah didn't know about any of Kim's history with Tommy – only that the pink ranger was once involved with Jason and that their relationship resulted in Ryan being born.

"Have you ever loved something?" Kim asked. "Something that isn't good for you?"

"Like drugs or something?"

The pink ranger considered this. "I guess in a way, sure."

"Hmm." Klasiah furrowed her brow. "Can't say that I have. I mean, the closest thing would be food that isn't good for me or one of those ridiculous programs my sister got me hooked on – " She raised an eyebrow at Kim's conflicted expression. " – but I get the feeling you're talking about a some _one_ rather than a some _thing_ …"

Kim gave a tight smile.

"I see." Klasiah scratched her nails along the countertop. "Then, unfortunately, I know exactly what you're talking about."

"Really?"

"Not from firsthand experience, mind you, but a friend of mine was in a bad situation. She was in a relationship that was unhealthy. No matter what any of us said to her, she insisted that the relationship was what she needed."

"But she got out of it?" Kim asked.

Klasiah nodded. "Eventually, but it took reaching a point she never thought she'd bring herself to first."

Kim sighed. She knew what that was like.

"And your friend is better off now?"

The redhead bit her lip. "Hard to say." At Kim's confused expression, she continued. "I think if she hadn't truly been in love with him, the answer would be yes, but she was and he loved her, too." She frowned. "I thought at first it was just infatuation, but it was just as real as how I feel about Shinara, you know?"

The pink ranger smiled softly at the mention of Klasiah's longtime girlfriend.

"It's the kind of love that just… _is_. You can't deny it, you can't make yourself stop feeling it… all you can do is embrace it and, in her case, accept that you can't have that person in your life anymore."

Lukor came up to them and handed Klasiah her order. She grinned and paid him for it.

"So…" Klasiah took a bite of her sandwich. "What's wrong with the person you're thinking about?"

The pink ranger looked down. "I'd rather not go into detail, but let's just say when I'm with him, I make decisions with disastrous consequences."

"What's he like?"

"Narcissistic, rude, selfish, dangerous, a complete asshole sometimes..." Kim bit her lip. "And funny, sweet, strong, charming, considerate…when he wants to be, at least."

"Sounds complicated."

Kim chuckled. "He is the most fun and the most misery any woman could ever experience."

"Ouch," Klasiah said with a wince. She took another bite of her sandwich. "What brought on all of this? You've never mentioned him before."

"We…recently got in contact with each other," Kim explained. "After the invasion, he'd been looking for me. He managed to get in touch with a mutual friend who is also a ranger, and they got us connected."

Technically, she was telling the truth.

Klasiah cocked her head to the side. "Oh, so this isn't Jason? I thought…"

Kim shook her head. "It's not him."

She could see the wheels turning in her friend's head at this new information.

"This person… I hadn't spoken to him in some time, and I thought I'd moved past what we had," Kim continued.

Klasiah nodded. "And now that he's back in your life, you don't know how to feel or what to do."

"Exactly."

"It sounds to me like you already know the answer." She took another bite of her sandwich. "If he really is bad for you like you say he is, you have to let him go, Kim."

"Even if he's changed?"

Klasiah raised an eyebrow. "Well, you didn't say _that_." She finished off her meal and took a sip of her water. "Klara had to end her relationship because the person she was with showed no capacity for change. Your situation sounds different." She took another sip. "If he's _truly_ changed, then maybe It's okay to reconsider – just, you know, take things slow. Think things through before blindly diving back into a bad situation."

Flashes of the steamy afternoon with the green ranger from yesterday raced through her head.

 _'So much for taking it slow,'_ she thought wryly.

"Yeah." Kim pushed off the counter. "I'll give it some thought. Thanks for the talk, Klas."

"Anytime." She grabbed Kim's hand. "I mean it."

The pink ranger smiled gratefully and watched her friend head out of the café.

There weren't too many people that Kim could talk to about her situation with Tommy. His past with most of her friends was tense, at best, so it was understandably difficult for them to keep their personal feelings from clouding their judgment. She was glad she had Klasiah to talk to.

Kim glanced up at the clock – it wouldn't be long before her shift was over. That didn't give her a lot of time to figure out what the hell to do about Tommy.

"Kim." She turned to see Jax standing a few feet away. "You good? We need help filling these last few orders before we close."

"Coming, boss."

Klasiah's advice was more or less the same as what Andros had told her yesterday when he dropped by – that had to count for something, right?

 _Kimberly ran her fingers through her hair, the strands damp from her shower. She turned off the light and left the bathroom, pausing briefly at the sight of the sleeping green ranger wrapped up in her sheets._

 _She had woken up twenty minutes ago with Tommy wrapped around her, his longs limbs holding her to him in a tight hug. She had carefully extricated herself from him and headed for the bathroom to take another shower._

 _Her plans had been completely derailed by his surprise visit, and now she was behind schedule. She needed to head to Leera's immediately to pick up Ryan – but first she needed to wash off the scent of sex that clung to her._

 _Despite the dread she felt from the conversation she knew she and the green ranger needed to have, Kim felt incredibly relaxed. While Tommy's visit was unexpected, he'd done one hell of a job scratching a particular itch that had been eating away at her for months. She could still feel the way he surged between her thighs, sliding deep inside of her and hitting that spot that made her scream his name again and again._

 _Kim blinked away the memory and exhaled._

 _Tommy clearly wanted more than casual sex, and she complicated things by sleeping with him and confessing her feelings._

 _Why did she always have to make things worse for herself?_

 _She grabbed her keys off the dresser and headed for the front door, only to jump back in surprise when it suddenly opened on its own._

 _Andros stood on the other side with a diaper bag on his arm. The stroller in front of him contained a sleeping Ryan._

 _"I come with a peace offering," the KOan said._

 _Kim rolled her eyes and moved aside. "Come in."_

 _He pushed the stroller into the living room and turned to face the pink ranger. "I know – I know, I should have warned you."_

 _"Damn right you should have," she growled._

 _Andros paused and looked around. "Where is he?"_

 _He took note of Tommy's duffel bag on the floor and turned brown eyes on the pink ranger. "You changed clothes."_

 _She flushed and picked up the bag, heading over to her bedroom and tossing it inside. Andros caught a quick glimpse of purple sheets wrapped around long legs on her bed before the door slid back shut._

 _He raised an eyebrow. "Did I come at a bad time?"_

 _"Shut up," she hissed._

 _"I'm not judging," he said gently._

 _She crossed her arms over her chest and relaxed slightly. "What the hell were you thinking bringing him here?"_

 _"I was thinking with everything he's put on the line for us, seeing his family was the least I could do."_

 _"Andros…"_

 _"He almost died in the last mission, Kimberly."_

 _Her anger faded at that. "What?"_

 _He squatted down in front of the sleeping infant in the stroller. "We were trying to take one of Zedd's shipments. Tommy helped us take out some of the surrounding convoy, but he had to take the crew down by himself. The condition he was in when we found him… what he's sacrificing for this cause… I couldn't in good conscience continue to keep him away from the very thing he was fighting to protect."_

 _Andros ran a finger along Ryan's cheek before looking up at the pink ranger. "Could you?"_

 _She ran her hands over her face and walked over to them. "No… I probably would've done the same thing if the situation were reversed." She nudged him with her foot. "Still could have warned me, though."_

 _He nodded. "I apologize for showing up unannounced. If I truly thought you were in any danger, I wouldn't have brought him here."_

 _Kimberly took a seat on the couch. "I know. It just… having him back is bringing up a lot of feelings I thought were long gone."_

 _He took the seat beside her. "Understandable."_

 _A comfortable silence fell over them as they watched Ryan sleep in the stroller._

 _"I'm scared," she admitted softly._

 _"Of?"_

 _"Him."_

 _Andros frowned. "But he fights on our side now… I don't understand."_

 _"Since this whole thing started, I kept telling him he needed to be better. Take care of his family, fight for the side of good – and now he's doing that."_

 _"And that's a bad thing?"_

 _"It's terrifying… because now he's exactly the person I knew he could be. I'm not sure how to trust that." She picked at the cushion. "If this turns out to be another one of his lies, I'll get hurt again. If he's telling the truth, I have to accept that he won't… he might not…"_

 _The pink ranger shifted so that she was hugging her knees against her chest._

 _Andros' eyes filled with understanding._

 _"I can only imagine how difficult this situation is for you. I didn't think about that before bringing him here, and I am sorry for disregarding how you would feel. If you need him to leave, I can always relocate him to another one of my parents' properties…"_

 _"Thanks," she whispered. "I'll let you know if I need to take you up on that."_

 _"Kimberly… I won't tell you what you should do, but I will say this…I can't speak on the type of person Tommy was before we started working together, but for what it's worth, the man in that room?" He pointed at her bedroom door. "I trust him."_

 _He squeezed her leg gently. "Whether or not you can is something only you can determine, but I encourage you to give yourself time to find out. Just know that whatever you decide, you will always have my support."_

 _She held on to his wrist. "Thank you."_

Kim waved goodbye to Jax and his sons as she climbed into her hovercar, finally finished for the day.

"See you guys! Drive safe!"

She drove the well-traveled route to the eastern grasslands, turning the hovercar off the road into the field towards her house. She parked next to the pile of colorful rocks and got out, rearranging them in the correct order and holding up the disc ID for the scanners to read.

"WELCOME, KIMBERLY."

The pink ranger got back inside the vehicle and drove through the protective shield. She stowed the vehicle behind the house and sighed.

Time to see _him_ again.

She made her way around to the front and, after taking a deep breath, entered the house.

And her heart instantly melted.

A half-asleep Tommy lay on the couch with Ryan on top of him. He placed a finger to his lips to signal for her to be quiet.

She nodded and headed deeper into the house to grab her camera, not wanting to miss the opportunity to capture the moment. She snuck back into the living room and snapped a few photos, smiling softly at the adorable moment.

The pink ranger turned away from the two of them and headed back into her bedroom. She put the camera on her dresser and looked at the photos in her hand.

Tommy wore a soft smile as he looked down at their son, a hand on the boy's back to keep him in place against his chest. The infant was fast asleep, his fist in his mouth while his other hand held onto the tail of the stuffed green dragon.

Kim wiped away the tears that threatened to fall. It was almost scary how well they fit together.

She put down the pictures and sniffled. _'What the hell am I supposed to do?'_

She felt a nearly overwhelming urge to talk to her mother all of a sudden. This was exactly the type of situation she would turn to her mom for help with in hopes that the older woman would be able to give her some much-needed advice. She'd then pull Kim into a hug, let her cry as much as she needed, and give her some tea to calm her nerves.

She didn't have her mom or one of her infamous hugs to cheer her up, but she could at least make herself some tea.

The pink ranger made her way to the kitchen, pausing when she realized Tommy and Ryan were no longer in the living room. She peeked inside the nursery and saw the green ranger rocking their son gently in his arms.

It hurt to realize it was a sight she could easily get used to seeing every day.

Kim headed into the kitchen and poured herself a mug of hot water, tossing in a tea bag to steep.

She took a sip of her drink and sighed as the smooth taste helped her to relax. She stared hard into the depths of the mug as if the answers to all her problems would reveal themselves if she looked long enough.

They didn't.

 _'You know life doesn't work that way, Kimberly,'_ she thought to herself. _'But wouldn't it be great if it did?'_

Kim took another sip of her drink and breathed in deeply.

As if he could sense she was thinking about him, the green ranger walked into the kitchen. He took a seat at the table and sighed. Kim instantly grew annoyed by the way her heartbeat sped up from his proximity alone. He flashed a smile her way, and the urge to do something stupid like kiss him hit her all of a sudden, but she pushed it down just as quickly.

That would just complicate things even further, and neither of them needed that right now.

 _'You need to take things slow,'_ she reminded herself.

"Long day?" she asked.

He sagged into his seat. "Babies are hard."

The pink ranger chuckled as she stirred her tea. "It was one day, Tommy."

"Yeah." He scratched the back of his neck. "Guess it's nothing compared to what you've dealt with."

"You would be correct," she said sarcastically. "Tea?"

"Yes, please."

She poured him some in a mug and handed it to him before making more for herself.

"Thanks."

Kim nodded and took the seat across from him. "So… how was it? Being daddy for the day?"

"Honestly? Nerve-wracking. I tried to play it cool this morning, but I wasn't sure how the day would go without you." He scratched the table. "I was terrified I'd drop him or do something wrong."

A small wave of panic swept over her. "But you didn't."

"No." Tommy smiled. "Once I stopped overthinking everything, things gelled for me."

"If what I walked in on was any indication, I'd have to agree." The pink ranger took a sip of her drink. "You're…very good with him."

It was hard for her to admit out loud, but it was true. Ryan wasn't a difficult baby to deal with, but she was still surprised at how well he took to the green ranger.

"Ryan's amazing, Kim," Tommy said softly. "So much energy… and I can already see his personality coming through. He's a funny little guy – it'll be interesting to see how that plays out when he's ol – "

Tommy's smile faded and an awkward silence settle over the kitchen. The pink ranger tensed up when she realized what he was about to say.

The green ranger cleared his throat. "So, uh… how was your day?"

Kimberly flashed a grateful smile and relaxed. "Uneventful, really."

"What is it that you do?"

"One of the rebels owns a café here – think a high-tech version of Ernie's Juice Bar." She smiled wistfully. "The atmosphere is almost the same. Sometimes, I catch myself waiting for Ernie to come from out back…" She shook her head. "Anyway, the owner, Jax, gave me a job shortly after Ryan was born. The money's decent, especially considering I live here without paying rent or utilities, and it keeps me from being cooped up in the house all day."

He nodded. "Is that where you met the friends you talked about before?"

"Yeah. Everyone there is part of the rebel group, so I know I can trust them."

"That also means it's the safest place for you to hide in plain sight."

"Yeah, that was Zhane's idea." Kim stared down at the contents of her mug. "Tommy… can I be honest with you about something?"

"Of course," he said softly.

"I wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of leaving you alone with Ryan today."

Scared shitless was a more apt description. It wasn't so much that she thought the green ranger would intentionally do something to hurt Ryan – she just didn't know what to expect leaving him with Tommy alone.

"Then why did you?"

She thought back to her conversation with the red space ranger.

' _I couldn't in good conscience continue to keep him away from the very thing he was fighting to protect. Could you?'_

"Yesterday when you were sleeping, Andros and I talked. He gave me some things to consider that made me decide to give you a chance."

"Like?"

Kim bit her lip. She wasn't ready to share that conversation with the green ranger just yet, and he seemed to pick up on that.

"Well, regardless… thank you. It means a lot to me to be able to spend time with him."

She nodded.

"So… do you need me to watch him again tomorrow?"

Kim shook her head. "I don't have to work tomorrow, so I'll be here."

"Ah. Right." The green ranger played with the handle of his mug. "Maybe we can watch him together then?"

Kimberly paused mid-sip and stared at him over the rim of her cup, easily picking up on his hopeful tone. She drank down her tea and placed the mug back down on the table.

"Maybe."

Tommy gulped down his tea and got up, washing the cup in the sink. She caught him staring at a picture on the refrigerator – one of her and the other Earth rangers at Angel Grove Park. His gaze was fixated on Zack's beaming face, and she knew without asking what was on the green ranger's mind. She stood and slowly walked up behind him.

"He's doing better," she said. Kim placed her mug in the sink. "He was in a coma for a few weeks, but now he's up. Physical therapy's been a real bitch."

She watched several emotions flit across his face.

"I didn't…" He licked his lips. "I didn't want that for him. I didn't mean to…"

She winced when she heard the mug he was holding begin to crack in his hand. Kimberly grabbed his wrist and squeezed, gently coaxing him to relax his grip. She took the mug from him and rinsed it off before placing it back in the dish rack. She grabbed his arm and turned him to face her.

"What happened to Zack was the result of a lot of bad decisions from the people around him. No single person is to blame for what happened, Tommy… not even you."

The green ranger nodded, blinking rapidly as if to keep himself from crying.

Kim knew she wasn't just saying empty words – she truly believed them. Early on, she shuffled the blame between Tommy and Jason, putting all of the responsibility of what happened to Zack on whoever was near her at the time. Now that her friend was on the way to recovery, she was able to move beyond the initial anger and look at the situation more clearly.

She gave his wrist a squeeze. "I'll make dinner when you're done in here."

"Yeah," he whispered. He turned his back to her and continued washing the other dishes in the sink.

The pink ranger headed to her bedroom and grabbed the tablet Dr. Prenjak gave her last week, bringing it with her to the living room. Now that Ryan was three months old, the doctor wanted to run a series of tests on him to confirm he hadn't been exposed to a particular set of KOan viruses that were harmful to earthlings. She had meant to fill out the paperwork yesterday while Ryan was with Leera, but Tommy's arrival had thrown off her plans.

Kim chewed on her bottom lip as she read over the forms, her face scrunched up in concentration. She wished her mom was here. She usually handled filling out medical forms like this.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she turned to see Tommy watching her from the kitchen doorway. She gave a soft smile, heart fluttering at the dopey look on his face.

 _'Dammit.'_

She'd manage to get through an entire conversation with him without any issues and now those damn butterflies were back.

It was junior year all over again.

 _'Come on, Kimberly,'_ she told herself silently. _'You've fought intergalactic warlords and all other types of creatures. Controlling your emotions around a boy should be a walk in the park compared to that.'_

But as she took another glance at the green ranger and felt that familiar warmth building in her stomach, she realized that was going to be easier said than done.

* * *

 **Hart Residence (Eastern Grasslands Home of Stevros and Jenanthia)**

 **Kimberly's Bedroom**

 **KO-35**

 **Two days later, Local time, Early Morning**

The pink ranger awoke with a yawn, eyes bleary as she gained her bearings. She turned to her right and saw Tommy lying there, an arm wrapped around her waist as he drooled on his pillow.

She snorted. It used to gross her out when he did it in the past – now it was sort of endearing.

Kimberly studied the green ranger silently as he slept. She had planned to use last night to finally finish their conversation on what was going on between them, but when Andros broke the news that Tommy had less than a day before he was to return to Serpentera, that had gone out the window. The only thing Kim could think about was how this might be the last time she'd ever see him.

Their conversation afterwards swayed her to seriously consider spending the night with him.

The kiss they shared made the decision for her.

Kim traced his features with her fingers, somewhat amazed by how much Ryan was already starting to resemble him. She brushed her fingers along his jawline, tickling the facial hair there.

"Stop it," he mumbled sleepily. She grinned and did it again, jumping slightly when a hand shot out to grip her wrist.

He glared at her playfully. "That tickles."

She chuckled when he climbed on top of her, his weight solid but comfortable. The pink ranger spread her thighs to make room for him, biting her bottom lip when his cock rubbed against her tender sex.

"Please tell me that's just morning wood. You can't possibly be…" She gasped when he pressed harder against her. " _How?_ "

"You bring it out of me," he whispered against her mouth with a devilish grin.

She kissed him hard. "You're like the goddamn energizer bunny."

Their bodies had been slick from sweat and oversensitive from too much friction by the time they'd finally gone to sleep. She had no idea where his energy came from – she was exhausted.

She sighed when he trailed kisses down her torso. He suckled each nipple first before descending to the area between her thighs… only to come to an abrupt stop when Ryan's soft cries filtered into the bedroom through the baby monitor.

Kim bit her lip to stifle her giggle at the way the green ranger suddenly deflated. He looked up at her then, and the pout he wore was so reminiscent of their son's that it made her chest hurt.

Tommy rolled off of her with a sigh. "Dammit…"

Kim moved from under the covers. "I'll go see what he needs."

"Nah, I got it," the green ranger said. "You stay here."

He leaned over and kissed her softly before climbing out of bed. Kim watched him clumsily pull on a pair of briefs as he left the bedroom, his hair sticking up in every direction. She sighed and grabbed a pillow, hugging it to her chest.

Was it wrong that even though she initiated things between them last night, she still felt conflicted about the green ranger? She loved him – there was no point in trying to deny it – but it didn't make it any clearer where that left things between them now.

These last few days had reminded her of why she fell in love with him in the first place, but they still weren't enough for her to forgive and forget. He'd betrayed her trust one too many times, and there was too much blood on his hands for the pink ranger to simply look the other way. If she were being completely honest with herself, she wasn't sure she'd _ever_ be able to forgive him for all the damage he's done.

A soft knock at the door caught her attention. She smiled when she saw Tommy walk in with a wide-awake Ryan who had a pacifier in his mouth.

"Changed his diaper," the green ranger said softly. He sat down on the bed and carefully laid back so that Ryan was lying along his chest.

"Wouldn't take the bottle when I tried to feed him, and when I tried to put him back down, he wasn't having it." Tommy grabbed his son's tiny hands. "You just wanted to be with your mommy and daddy, didn't you?"

Ryan smiled and spit out his pacifier. He gurgled at the green ranger.

"He'll be hungry in a few minutes," she surmised.

The green ranger glanced at the clock on the nightstand. He had a little over three hours before it was time to leave.

"I hate this," he whispered. "I hate that I can't stay." A pained look crossed his features. "Kim... I – "

Kimberly squeezed his arm, distracting him from what she knew he was about to say.

"I know."

The room went silent save for Ryan's soft babbling. The green ranger ran his hand up and down the little boy's back in a soothing motion.

"Thank you," Tommy said suddenly, turning his head so that he was looking up at her.

She frowned, a finger running along Ryan's hairline. "For what?"

"Everything." He cupped the back of Ryan's head. "You have every right to push me away, and you chose not to. It means more to me than you know."

In light of her own conflicted feelings, his words made her uncomfortable, and she averted her gaze.

Kim awkwardly cleared her throat. "I need to take a shower," she said. "Can you watch him?"

The green ranger nodded. "Of course."

She got up from the bed and grabbed a tank top and a pair of underwear before heading into the bathroom. Kim turned on the shower and exhaled, gently stretching her sore muscles as she let the steam from the shower fill up the small bathroom.

The pink ranger closed her eyes as she stepped under the spray. It was hard to believe he was leaving already, though ultimately, it was probably for the best. This time with the green ranger had only served to give her a glimpse of the life they could have had together if things were different.

 _'Who says you can't have it?'_

Kim paused while washing her stomach and considered this. She supposed they didn't know for _sure_ that Tommy would die, but facts were facts. The odds of Tommy surviving this takedown of the Dark Empire were slim to none. He said it himself – on the off chance that Zedd didn't kill him, the Eltarians would surely execute him for his crimes.

Even Jason and Andros agreed. There was just no way.

 _'Zordon would be so disappointed in you right now. When did you stop believing anything is possible?'_

She shook her head. She'd never stop believing in the impossible, but this? This was…

 _'Different? Come on, Kim… you've had more faith in worse situations.'_

She bit her lip. That was true…

 _'It's convenient, isn't it? You get to play House with him for a few days, all the while using his death as an excuse to keep him at a distance.'_ She frowned at that. _'No need to take a chance at_ really _trying to trust or forgive him. What's the point if he's going to die, right?'_

Kim swallowed thickly, her chest tight with guilt. That was exactly what she was doing.

 _'Is that what you want? For him to be dead and gone?'_

The pink ranger tilted her head under the spray to let the water run down her neck and shoulders. Whether or not she wanted Tommy gone changed depending on her mood, but she certainly didn't want him dead. Despite the horrible things he's done, she loved him too much to wish for his death, even if it would make things easier for her.

 _'Then tell him that.'_

She scowled. Why? What the hell did it matter how she felt? Her feelings had no bearing on whether or not he made it out of this alive.

 _'You know that's not true. He's ready to die to protect you and your son... if he knew you could be together, maybe he'd be ready to live for you instead.'_

The pink ranger shook her head angrily. She wasn't going to lie to him, not even to save his life. What if she told him that she would be with him if he survived all of this and then he _actually_ lived through it? She was setting herself up for a commitment she wasn't sure she could honor.

That wasn't fair to anyone.

No. After everything that's happened to her and the people she cares about, she was _done_ with lying.

 _'Who said anything about lying?'_

Kim furrowed her brow in confusion. If she wasn't going to lie to him, then what the hell was she supposed to say to convince him to…

Her eyes widened in understanding. "Oh."

The pink ranger quickly turned off the water and climbed out of the shower, securing her towel around her torso. She wiped off the steam from the mirror and stared at her reflection.

And just like that, for the first time since Tommy stumbled back into her life, Kimberly knew _exactly_ what she needed to do.


	8. Chapter 7

_**Author's Note:** Here is the next chapter of Moments in Between. Thanks to my beta Bellarose20 for the help._

 _As always, please read and review. Love hearing your feedback. Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Morphing Grid**

 **Pocket Dimension 17**

 **2:27 PM**

"I need to go back to the palace."

Kim pulled away from Jason and glared at the green ranger. "Are you _crazy_?"

"There are some things I need to get before I leave. Personal things I won't leave behind and the last bit of intel on the Dark Empire."

"Tommy…"

He cupped her face in his hands. "I'll be fine. I still have about an hour before Rygog is supposed to land at the moon base. That gives me plenty of time to do what I need to do, all right?" He brushed his thumb across her lips. "I'll be back before you know it."

The green ranger kissed her softly, sucking her tongue into his mouth with a moan. He squeezed her hand and winked right before he teleported out of the pocket dimension.

"Did he seriously just… dammit!" Jen yelled.

Zhane placed his hands on his hips. "Erm… should we provide back up for… whatever he's going to do?"

"He'll contact us if he needs assistance," Andros said wearily. "We need to focus on Kimberly and Ryan." He turned to the two in question. "Let's get you down to the medical bay. I want to get you checked out before we head back to KO-35. Who knows what you might have been exposed to on the moon base."

Jason ran a hand over his face tiredly. "All right, well, let me know if you need anything. I'm heading back to the Power Chamber to give Zordon an update."

The red space ranger nodded. "We'll need your help loading supplies on the ship. Have your communicator with you."

"Roger that." The red Earth ranger teleported out of the pocket dimension and into the main corridor of the Power Chamber.

"Power down," he murmured.

His suit disappeared in a flash of red light, leaving him in a red hooded t-shirt, dark baggy jeans, and brown boots. Jason went to the rec room and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before heading towards the center of the chamber where Zordon and Alpha 5 were.

"Hello, Jason!" Alpha said warmly. The red ranger finished taking a sip of his drink and smiled.

"Hey, Alpha."

"YOU'VE RETURNED MUCH SOONER THAN EXPECTED, JASON," Zordon said. "DID EVERYTHING GO WELL WITH THE MISSION?"

Jason sighed and leaned back against the nearest wall. "Not exactly."

He told Zordon an edited version of what happened, from their discovery that Zedd had set them up to Tommy bringing Kim and Ryan back to the pocket dimension. Some details were tweaked as necessary to keep the truth of Ryan's paternity a secret.

"I SEE." The Eltarian wore a worried expression. "ARE KIM AND THE BABY ALL RIGHT?"

"Think so," Jason replied. "Andros is getting them checked out now."

"Ay yi yi, how awful! It's a good thing Tommy was there to rescue them. Who knows what could have happened?"

"INDEED. I WOULD NOT HAVE EXPECTED HIM TO TAKE SUCH DRASTIC ACTIONS TO SAVE KIMBERLY AND YOUR SON."

Jason grimaced at the mention of the green ranger. The flurry of usual emotions rushed through him – anger, betrayal, hurt, anguish, and finally guilt that settled in his stomach like lead. The water bottle gave way under his grip.

"Yeah," he responded emotionlessly.

Zordon stared at the red ranger for several seconds before turning to his assistant. "ALPHA, PLEASE JOIN THE OTHERS IN THE MEDICAL BAY. THEY MAY NEED YOUR HELP WITH RUNNING TESTS AND ADMINISTERING AID."

The robot nodded. "Of course, Zordon."

The Eltarian waited until Alpha's footsteps could no longer be heard before speaking again.

"WHAT IS ON YOUR MIND, RED RANGER?"

The teen took a swig from his bottle. "What makes you think something's on my mind?"

"THE FACT THAT YOU DIDN'T SIMPLY ANSWER NO TO MY QUESTION." Zordon smiled. "I'VE KNOWN YOU FOR YEARS NOW, JASON. I CAN TELL WHEN SOMETHING IS BOTHERING YOU."

Jason scowled. _'Dammit.'_

Zordon assessed him. "IF YOU DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE DISCUSSING IT WITH ME, THAT IS FINE, BUT PLEASE KNOW… I AM ALWAYS HERE IF YOU NEED ME OR WISH TO TALK."

The red ranger let out a bitter chuckle. "You wouldn't be if you knew the truth…"

"THE TRUTH ABOUT WHAT?"

Jason winced. " _Shit_ … I said that out loud, didn't I?"

"THE TRUTH ABOUT _WHAT_ , JASON?"

The teen leaned back against the wall and slid down to the floor. The Eltarian's concern caused a lump to form in his throat. Zordon held such unwavering faith in him – to know he betrayed it made him sick to his stomach.

He pulled his legs up to his chest. "…I'm scared to tell you."

"WHY?"

"Because I don't want you to hate me, too," he whispered.

Zordon considered his words. "WHY DON'T YOU LET ME BE THE JUDGE OF THAT?"

Jason picked at the stitching of his jeans, eyes downcast. It took him nearly a minute to muster up the courage to speak, and he found that once he started, he couldn't seem to stop. He told Zordon the truth about all of it – his leaving Tommy with Goldar, why Tommy joined Zedd, the affair between the pink and green rangers… every detail was laid bare to his mentor save for the truth about Tommy being Ryan's father.

He couldn't bring himself to share that with his mentor. That was Kim's secret to tell.

"…and that's how we ended up where we are now," he finished. The black-haired teen exhaled slowly. Anxiety built in his chest as he waited for Zordon's response.

"STAND UP, JASON."

The red ranger did as requested. He wiped sweaty palms along his jeans.

"WHAT YOU DID…WAS _ABHORRENT_."

The red ranger blinked against the sting of tears. "I'm sorry, Zordon."

"FEELING SORRY DOES NOT MAKE UP FOR WHAT YOU DID. PERSONAL FEELINGS CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO CLOUD YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS A RANGER."

The teen bristled at this. "But I wasn't the only one to – "

"I AM NOT _CONCERNED_ WITH WHAT OTHERS DID RIGHT NOW, JASON. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT _YOU_ ," Zordon snapped. "NOT ONLY DID YOU LIE TO ME, BUT YOU ENDANGERED THE LIFE OF A CIVILIAN. WHAT WERE YOU _THINKING_?"

"I didn't think – "

"THAT MUCH IS CLEAR," Zordon cut in. "DID YOU EVEN CONSIDER FOR ONE SECOND THAT THINGS COULD HAVE GONE MUCH DIFFERENTLY? WHAT IF RITA HAD SIMPLY KILLED TOMMY INSTEAD? WOULD YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LIVE WITH YOURSELF KNOWING YOU COULD HAVE SAVED HIS LIFE BUT DIDN'T OVER SOMETHING SO TRIVIAL?"

Jason looked down shamefully.

"COULD YOU HAVE EXPLAINED TO HIS PARENTS THAT THEIR SON WAS DEAD BECAUSE _YOU_ DECIDED IT WAS BETTER TO HAVE HIM OUT OF THE PICTURE THAN ALIVE AND SAFE?"

The red ranger's bottom lip trembled as he shook his head. "…No."

"NO, YOU COULDN'T," Zordon barked in the harshest tone Jason had ever heard from him. "I HAVE _NEVER_ BEEN MORE DISAPPOINTED IN YOU THAN I AM NOW."

Jason flinched as if he'd been hit.

The Eltarian struggled to control his anger. "AS THE LEADER OF THIS TEAM, I NEED TO KNOW THAT I CAN TRUST YOU TO MAKE THE BEST DECISION AT CRITICAL MOMENTS… NOT THE ONE THAT BENEFITS YOU THE MOST."

"I know, and I-I realize that I'm unfit to lead this team or even be a part of it." The red ranger reached into his pocket and pulled out his morpher. "I'll let the team know that I'm resigning, effective immediately."

Zordon observed him quietly for several seconds. "…THAT WON'T BE NECESSARY."

"W-What?"

"I'M NOT ACCEPTING YOUR RESIGNATION," Zordon clarified. "FORTUNATELY, TOMMY DID NOT DIE BECAUSE OF YOUR ACTIONS, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR. YOUR TEAMMATES LOOK TO YOU FOR LEADERSHIP. REMOVING YOU FROM THE TEAM NOW HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE DESTABILIZING."

"Right, of course," the red ranger sighed. He toed the ground with his boot. "What about after?"

"YOU WILL BE TAKEN OFF OF ACTIVE DUTY FOR A MINIMUM OF SIX MONTHS."

"Six months?" the teen repeated. "But that means…"

"YOU WILL RETURN TO THE TEAM AS THE RED RANGER ONCE YOUR SUSPENSION IS OVER."

"I don't understand." He frowned. "What I did… I don't _deserve_ to be the red ranger anymore."

"JASON…" Zordon sighed as he looked down at the shamefaced teen. "THE REASON I'M UPSET WITH YOU ISN'T BECAUSE YOU DID SOMETHING I DON'T EXPECT OF A RED RANGER – IT'S BECAUSE YOU DID SOMETHING I DON'T EXPECT OF _YOU_. I CHOSE YOU TO BE THE RED RANGER BECAUSE I SEE IN YOU THE QUALITIES OF SOMEONE WORTHY OF THAT RESPONSIBILITY…AND YOU FAILED ME."

Jason wiped at the tears building in his eyes. "If I could take it back – "

"I DON'T _WANT_ YOU TO TAKE IT BACK," the Eltarian interrupted. "I WANT YOU TO _LEARN_ FROM IT."

Zordon paused, giving his anger time to cool so he could collect his thoughts.

"REGARDLESS OF HOW UPSET I AM WITH YOU, I CAN STILL RECOGNIZE ALL OF THE GOOD YOU'VE DONE AS A POWER RANGER. I KNOW THAT YOU CAN MAKE BETTER CHOICES – YOU'VE ALREADY SHOWN THIS BY PUTTING ASIDE YOUR DIFFERENCES AND WORKING WITH TOMMY TO TAKE DOWN LORD ZEDD. YOU'VE PROVEN YOU ARE MORE THAN THAT MOMENT OF WEAKNESS."

The red ranger winced at his mentor's encouraging words. Here Zordon was still believing in him despite knowing the truth, and even now, he could feel the same bitterness and jealousy that pushed him to make that mistake festering inside of him.

"YOU DISAGREE?" the Eltarian asked after sensing the teen's discomfort.

"It's just…" Jason ran his hands over his face in frustration. "Every time I think about what they did to me, I get so angry that I… I can't even _see_ straight," the red ranger growled as he clenched his fists. "It's hard not to just let it take over and do something I shouldn't…again."

"IT'S OKAY TO BE ANGRY, JASON. YOU'RE ENTITLED TO FEEL HURT IN THIS SITUATION," the Eltarian said. "BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT YOU ARE A _RANGER_ AND THE LEADER OF YOUR TEAM… AND AT SOME POINT YOU DON'T GET TO WALLOW IN YOUR PAIN AND BLAME TOMMY AND KIMBERLY ANYMORE. YOU HAVE TO PUT THOSE FEELINGS ASIDE… FOR THE GOOD OF YOUR TEAM, THE PEOPLE YOU SWORE TO PROTECT, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOURSELF."

The black-haired teen crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not…sure I know how to do that."

"THEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LEARN." Zordon's tone softened. "I KNOW IT FEELS LIKE I'M ASKING YOU TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE AND THAT IT SEEMS UNFAIR GIVEN THE DEPTH OF THE BETRAYAL YOU SUFFERED IN THIS… BUT YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT THE SITUATION FOR WHAT IT IS AND MOVE ON."

The red ranger wanted to argue but realized it was futile. Zordon had essentially given him the Eltarian equivalent of 'shut the fuck up and get over yourself'. Zack told him the same thing, as did Kim and even Tommy…

If _Zordon_ was saying it, too, maybe it was time to finally listen.

Jason tugged at the sleeve of his hoodie. "So I gotta be the bigger man and get over it… just like that?"

"JUST LIKE THAT." Zordon noticed the red ranger's sullen expression. "YOUR YOUTH AND INEXPERIENCE MAKES IT SEEM LIKE THIS IS THE WORST PAIN YOU CAN FEEL BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU, JASON, YOU WILL HAVE MANY MORE EXPERIENCES IN YOUR LIFETIME – BOTH GOOD AND BAD – THAT WILL MAKE THIS PAIN FADE INTO A DISTANT MEMORY."

The teen raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that?"

"ABSOLUTELY." Seeing the teen's unconvinced expression, Zordon came to a decision. "HAVE A SEAT, JASON."

The red ranger did as he was told, sitting with his legs folded on the floor of the control room.

"PERHAPS A TALE FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCES WILL GIVE YOU SOME PERSPECTIVE."

Jason's eyes widened in surprise. In all the time he'd known Zordon, the Eltarian never shared anything about his past outside of what was pertinent to an ongoing battle or mission.

"SIX THOUSAND YEARS AGO, MY FATHER SENT ME AND A SMALL ARMY TO HELP SAVE A PLANET ON THE BRINK OF DESTRUCTION. IT WAS THERE THAT I FIRST ENCOUNTERED THE MORPHOLOGICAL BEING KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSE AS IVAN OOZE…"

* * *

 **Power Chamber**

 **Medical Bay**

 **Angel Grove, CA**

 **3:16 PM**

 _Tommy brushed his thumb across her lips. "I'll be back before you know it."_

 _Kimberly's heart leapt into her throat when he disappeared in a flash of green light_

'Oh, Tommy… please don't do anything stupid,' _the pink ranger thought as she bit her lip worriedly._

"Kimberly… Kimberly… Kim!"

The pink ranger blinked, snapping back to the present. "Yeah?"

"I asked for you to lift your arms higher so I can complete the stitching."

She nodded and did as requested, allowing Billy access to her abdomen. She hissed as he threaded the skin along her ribcage back together.

"Oh my god, I just want to eat him up!"

Kim smiled through the pain as she saw Trini twirl a giggling Ryan in the air. The yellow ranger pulled the infant to her chest, laughing softly at his attempts to put her hair into his mouth. She tickled his stomach, and he squealed, legs kicking out in excitement. Alpha 5 stood off to the side watching the two of them together.

The pink ranger sighed in relief when she felt something cool on her skin. Billy rubbed a clear ointment over her stitches that soothed the burning sensation from her wound. He grabbed some bandages and proceeded to wrap them around her torso.

"That should do it," he said, stepping back to assess his work. "The best thing for you now is to rest and not to engage in any strenuous activity. You don't want to pull the stitches by accident."

"Billy, when have you ever known Kim to follow directions?"

Kimberly perked up at the voice and turned to see Zack there, a smile so wide on his face she thought it might get stuck. The pink ranger hopped from the table and ran over to him, nearly tackling him to the ground from the force of her hug.

"What did I _just_ say?" Billy complained.

Zack grinned over her head. "Told you."

Kimberly buried her face into his chest, tears streaming down her cheeks. The black ranger wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Hey, Kimmy," he murmured.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered. "When you were in that coma… I thought…"

"I know." He squeezed her tighter. "But it takes more than that to keep the Zack-man down."

Kim stepped back and frowned when she saw the cane in his hand. "Oh, Zack…"

He shook his head. "I'm fine, Kim. Until I make it through my physical therapy, I gotta use this." Zack gave a crooked smile. "I'll be back to one hundred percent – no worries."

The black ranger nudged her side. "Now, I hear there's _someone_ here that needs to get acquainted with his Uncle Zack."

Trini rolled her eyes as she carried the laughing baby over to him. As she handed him over, Ryan stretched out his arms with a wide smile, eagerly moving into Zack's waiting arms.

"There's my boy!" Zack blew a raspberry on the baby's stomach. "You're just the cutest little guy, aren't you?"

The yellow ranger tickled the infant's feet, causing him to laugh. Billy joined them, a finger running over the child's cheek.

"He is quite handsome," he stated. The blue ranger dodged the child's repeated attempts to grab his glasses. "And determined."

"Yeah, you get used to it." Kim placed a hand on her son's back. He turned to her, smiling that sweet smile she loved.

"Look at that… boy knows his mama," Zack said with a laugh.

Ryan reached for Kimberly, babbling at her happily. She scooped him up and cuddled him against her chest. The pink ranger pressed gentle kisses against his temple.

The rangers cooed and awed for some time at the baby who was more than happy to soak up the attention. A loud clearing of the throat, however, drew everyone's focus to the doorway where a stoic Jason stood. His hands were tucked into his front pockets.

And just like that, the easygoing mood disappeared as everyone remembered the unfortunate circumstances that led to Ryan being there.

"Hey," the red ranger said, voice rough.

Zack frowned. "You all right, man?"

"I'm fine."

His mind was still reeling from the story Zordon just shared with him. The Eltarian's account of what happened with Ivan Ooze gave Jason quite a bit of food for thought, especially with regards to how he should handle things moving forward. Zordon had been put in an impossible position during his battle with Ivan Ooze, even going so far as to do things he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to live with. It gave the red ranger some much-needed perspective about his own problems.

Jason plastered on his best smile before turning to look at Kimberly. "Zordon wants to talk to you." He looked at the baby in her arms. "And he'd like to meet Ryan."

Kim nodded, though it was a little difficult with Ryan squishing her cheeks between his hands. She playfully bit his nose, which caused him to giggle.

"Come on, Ryan," she said softly as she gave him his pacifier. "There's someone I'd like for you to meet."

They headed out of the medical bay towards the control room, following Trini's instructions on how to get there in the new Power Chamber. Kimberly grinned at Ryan's wide-eyed fascination with the bright lights and sounds as they wandered the corridor. They entered the large control room and stopped a few feet in front of Zordon's tube.

"HELLO, KIMBERLY."

The pink ranger teared up instantly at hearing his voice. "Zordon…"

"WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS HOW HAPPY I AM TO SEE YOU ARE ALIVE AND WELL."

She sniffled, smiling through her tears. "I've missed you."

The Eltarian smiled. "AND I YOU."

Ryan broke the tender moment by spitting out his pacifier and babbling at Zordon.

"Seems like someone wants to say hi to you," Kim said with amusement. Ryan turned to her and gave a gummy smile. She leaned forward, forehead pressed against his.

The pink ranger turned back to her mentor. "Zordon… I'd like for you to meet my son – Ryan Christopher Hart."

"HELLO, RYAN," he said gently. The little boy rest his head against his mother's cheek, giving the Eltarian a good look at the boy's features. "HE IS A BEAUTIFUL CHILD, KIMBERLY."

She handed the infant his pacifier. "He's my everything."

"HART… NOT SCOTT?"

Kim nodded. "Things between Jason and I… aren't good at the moment, and with Ryan spending most of his time with me, we agreed it made sense to give him my last name."

"I SEE," he murmured. "AND HOW IS LIFE ON KO-35 FOR THE TWO OF YOU? ARE YOU IN NEED OF ANYTHING?"

"Just better security." She brushed her fingers over the bandages around her torso with a wince. "Zedd's boys roughed me up."

"YES, I HEARD… ARE THE TWO OF YOU OKAY?"

She nodded, fingers running through her son's hair. "Yeah, we're good."

Zordon watched her carefully as he continued. "IT WAS VERY COURAGEOUS OF TOMMY TO RESCUE YOU."

She licked her lips. "Yeah, well… he's always had a soft spot for me…"

"BUT SUCH A SELFLESS ACT WAS UNXPECTED GIVEN HIS ROCKY RELATIONSHIP WITH JASON AND YOUR CONNECTION TO HIM." The pink ranger tensed up. "TO SAVE YOU AND YOUR SON AT THE RISK OF HIS OWN FREEDOM WAS SURPRISING, TO SAY THE LEAST… WOULDN'T YOU AGREE?"

Kimberly kept her gaze averted, even as she could feel her mentor staring intently.

"…KIMBERLY?"

The pink ranger had a choice to make – tell Zordon the truth or keep lying to him. After everything he'd done for her and supported her through, she knew there was really only one choice.

"Zordon, I… I need to tell you something." Her lower lip trembled as she took a deep breath. "Tommy is Ryan's father, not Jason." Her jaw clenched tightly. "That's why we were taken."

"…I KNOW."

"W-What?" She looked at him in alarm. "Jason told you?"

Zordon shook his head. "NO, BUT HE TOLD ME ENOUGH FOR ME TO PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER ON MY OWN." He observed the infant who sucked on his fist. "AND THE RESEMBLANCE IS… UNCANNY."

Kim averted her gaze as her cheeks flushed with heat. "You must be so disappointed in me."

"I AM," he admitted. "WHAT YOU DID WAS A DIRECT VIOLATION OF ELTARIAN LAW." He shook his head. "YOU KNOW BETTER, KIMBERLY. HOW COULD YOU BE SO IRRESPONSIBLE?"

"I know," she murmured. "I never should have cheated on Jason and I – "

"YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JASON IS NOT THE ISSUE HERE," the Eltarian interrupted angrily. "IT'S YOUR POOR JUDGMENT."

She looked down, face flushing from embarrassment.

"KIMBERLY… YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE GREEN RANGER WAS MORE THAN A SINGULAR INDESCRETION. IT LASTED FOR _MONTHS_ , WHICH MEANS WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT INFORMATION WAS EXCHANGED BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU DURING THAT TIME THAT MAY HAVE HELPED THE DARK EMPIRE – KNOWINGLY OR OTHERWISE." He paused to give her a chance to let that sink in. "IT ALSO RESULTED IN A _CHILD_ , KIMBERLY… THE CHILD OF ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS MEN IN THE UNIVERSE."

"Yes, I know, okay? I know how bad I messed up," she said in frustration.

"I DON'T THINK YOU DO," he said delicately. "KIMBERLY… YOU COMMITTED TREASON … DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CONSEQUNCE IS FOR THAT?"

"Life in prison."

"OR DEATH," he told her. "AND I FEAR THE LATTER WILL BE THE SENTENCE YOU'LL FACE FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE IF THE COUNCIL FINDS OUT."

The pink ranger cuddled her son closer as her heart raced. "… _Will_ they find out?"

A tense silence lingered between them for several seconds before he spoke.

"AS A MEMBER OF THE ELTARIAN COUNCIL, IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO REPORT THIS… BUT IS ALSO MY DUTY AS YOUR MENTOR TO PROTECT YOU," he said. His gaze softened as he looked at her and her son. "I WILL ALWAYS PLACE PROTECTING MY RANGERS ABOVE ALL ELSE."

Kimberly's eyes closed in relief, and she whispered a soft, "Thank you."

"BUT KIMBERLY, JUST BECAUSE I WON'T TELL THE COUNCIL DOESN'T MEAN THEY WON'T EVENTUALLY FIND OUT THE TRUTH."

"No one who knows will tell them… and with Jason legally listed as the father, there's nothing to worry about."

"KIMBERLY, IT ONLY TAKES ONE LOOK AT THAT CHILD TO SEE HE ALREADY FAVORS TOMMY. WHAT WILL YOU DO WHEN HE'S OLDER AND THE RESEMBLANCE BECOMES MORE APPARENT?"

"I-I don't know." She ran a hand through her hair. "I'll have to cross that bridge when I get there."

Zordon opened his mouth to speak again but stopped at Jason's sudden appearance in the doorway.

"Sorry for the interruption…" the red ranger said. "…but we gotta get ready to head out now. Zhane's moving the Megaship out of the pocket dimension, and we can't wait too long or Zedd will detect its presence."

"Right," she said. She cleared her throat and smiled at Ryan who had a tight grip on the collar of her shirt. "Say goodbye to Zordon, Ryan."

She lifted his hand and made him wave, causing a smile to form around his pacifier and Zordon to chuckle. Kimberly nodded at Jason and followed behind him to the exit.

"JASON, KIMBERLY." The two rangers turned to face their mentor. "REMEMBER WELL MY WORDS TODAY... AND BE CAREFUL."

They nodded and headed out of the control room.

' _MAY THE POWER PROTECT YOU,'_ he thought as he watched them leave.

Zordon bowed his head once they were gone. He didn't mean to come down so hard on them, but if Jen was right, he didn't have a lot of time left to give them the guidance they sorely needed.

The Time Force pink ranger had informed him long ago that this war ended in a battle in the ruins of the Command Center and would result in his death. He wasn't sure when exactly this battle was supposed to happen, but now it seemed as if it was only a matter of time. If Zedd had gone through that much trouble to have Kim and Ryan kidnapped, he was going to go after them again. Zordon knew Zedd well enough to know that the Emperor would find a way to locate them at the Power Chamber, and once he did, the battle would be at their doorstep.

It came as no surprise to him that his death occurred at the same time the war ended – in fact, he was certain that his death is the reason the war ends. Alpha 5 informed Zordon long ago that being trapped in his time warp had allowed his powers to grow at an exponential rate. If released, the energy had the potential to take out Zedd and his entire armed forces all at once.

Time and time again, Zordon wrestled with the knowledge that he possessed the power to end Zedd's reign. He had explained this to his father and the Council, but he'd been forbidden from taking his own life. Their argument was that Zordon was more valuable alive than dead and another way could be found to defeat Zedd. The tr _uth_ was that Gali was unable to accept losing his son, regardless of how many lives would be saved in the process.

Now it seemed that no longer mattered.

He wondered who would be the one to do it. Zedd certainly wouldn't order his death, though it was possible one of his less intelligent soldiers could mistakenly shatter the tube.

He prayed it wouldn't be one of his rangers. They were strong, but they were still children – none of them should have to live with the weight of his death on their conscience.

Perhaps Andros would be the one. Their history together would give the space ranger pause, but his experience and determination to end the war would allow him to do what needed to be done.

Zordon sighed. There was no point in even speculating about this, was there? The how and why behind his death were out of his control, so did it really even matter _who_ took him out in the end?

The Eltarian settled for staring out at the control room instead, eyes sad as he was unsure how much longer he'd be able to take in the view.

All he could really do now is wait.

* * *

 **The Lunar Palace**

 **Holding Cells**

 **The Moon**

 **Local time, Unknown**

"Zedd, get back here, you son of a bitch! Don't hurt them!"

The Emperor closed the door to the room with a soft click.

"ZEDD!"

He turned to the Piranhatrons standing guard. "Once Goldar is finished, no one else goes in or comes out of this room. Understood?"

The two soldiers nodded.

Lord Zedd headed for his throne room, passing various solders along the way who stopped to bow in respect. He ignored them, too distracted by thoughts of the green ranger.

He took a seat on his throne and tapped his fingers against the armrest.

"Impudent child," he hissed. "I gave him _everything_ he could possibly ask for, and he betrays me like _this?!_ "

Zedd had hoped the boy had learned his lesson the first time when he'd been caught after his fight with the red ranger. Tommy was young, and Zedd understood the power hormones had on someone at that age. He didn't mind the boy having some fun with the pretty pink ranger – as long as it worked to his benefit and ended when it no longer offered any value.

That was the agreement, and he _thought_ Tommy had understood.

In retrospect, he should have listened to Rygog's concerns about the green ranger's many unscheduled trips down to Earth. Zedd assumed the boy had gone down to visit his parents – Goldar had already informed him of the boy's attachment to them during his time working for Rita. He requested Rygog to eliminate them, not wanting the green ranger to have any attachments to Earth that would prevent him from giving his all to the invasion.

Rygog later informed him that the teleportation logs still showed the green ranger frequently visiting Earth, and his insistence that the teen was up to something had infuriated the Emperor. Rygog's inability to trust Tommy showed that he didn't trust the Emperor's judgment, and _that_ was something Lord Zedd could not tolerate.

Zedd knew the general's mistrust of Tommy was rooted in jealousy. Rygog, like other generals of the Dark Empire, had been loyal to Lord Zedd for several millennia. He'd bled and killed for the Dark Empire without question, and he found it understandably insulting that the Emperor held a human child in higher regard than those who served him for much longer. But even though he understood the general's frustration, Lord Zedd felt no need to explain himself or his decisions to anyone, especially his subordinates.

It didn't matter if the others couldn't see in Tommy what he did – his judgment was final, and he was _never_ wrong.

Upon meeting the teen, he'd been immediately impressed by the green ranger's battle prowess and intelligence, but it was his cruelty and need for vengeance that pushed the Emperor to begin training him. He saw in Tommy a greatness he'd only ever seen before in one other person – himself; raw, untapped potential that when nurtured would make him virtually unstoppable.

He'd been _certain_ he'd found his successor… which is why Zedd was disappointed when he realized he now had to kill him.

It was after the failed transport of the supplies from Xybria that he finally learned what his green ranger had been up to and how deep his betrayal went. An SOS from the transport ship had reached Serpentera asking for assistance from an onboard attack from the green ranger. This of course conflicted with Tommy's claim that he was ambushed by Aytrew and other soldiers, a scenario that Lord Zedd admittedly found difficult to believe. Suspicion quickly changed to shock when Anebris, in an effort to prepare Tommy's bag for his recovery on KO-35, discovered an item in the green ranger's possession.

A photo of a clearly-alive pink ranger… and a baby boy.

The child's features weren't fully developed yet as he was a newborn in the photo, but Zedd had no doubt he was the green ranger's son.

The idea that Tommy both had a child and was able to keep it and the pink ranger hidden from him was as surprising as it was illuminating. If the pink ranger was alive, the other power rangers had to know and most likely helped fake her death in battle; and if Tommy had a picture of her and their son, he had to be communicating with the power rangers in order to get it.

Zordon and his team undoubtedly realized what kind of threat Tommy posed to her safety. If he was getting intel on the pink ranger and their brat through the rangers, he had to be giving _something_ to them in return.

Zedd sent word to his spies on KO-35 about the green ranger's arrival, now wanting to know the boy's every move in hopes of confirming his suspicions. After several days of monitoring his progress at the hospital, his spies reported back that he'd been discharged and was seen meeting with Andros in the Eastern Grasslands before the two disappeared. He later learned that the pink ranger was seen coming from the same area on her way into the city.

After sharing the newfound information with Goldar and Rygog, the three of them were able to devise a plan. There was still no concrete evidence that the green ranger was responsible for the recent attacks throughout the empire, but Rygog's suggestion to tell the teen about a fake shipment was sure to solve that problem. If Tommy was truly responsible and still thought Zedd had no idea what was going on, the Emperor could use that against him to not only expose him for the traitor he was but also get what _he_ wanted – the location of the power rangers' new base of operations.

The plan had been to use the pink ranger and their son as a bargaining chip – their freedom for the location of Zordon and his rangers. When he realized that Rygog had been captured, Zedd had been forced to improvise. He couldn't prevent Rygog from telling the rangers where the pink ranger and her son were located, but he _could_ use Tommy's predictability to his advantage. The boy would want to put her and the baby in a safe location – most likely wherever Zordon was – so he placed a tracking chip in the blanket as a precaution.

' _And here we are now,'_ he thought bitterly, grip tight around his Z staff.

He still struggled to wrap his head around all of it. How could mere _children_ outsmart him? The thought alone was such a blow to his pride that it had him literally seeing red.

His generals had tried to warn him countless times not to trust the green ranger, and he refused to listen to them. He trusted _his_ instincts because _he_ knew what was best.

And where did that get him?

On the losing side of the war and looking like a fool in front of his subordinates and his enemies… by a _whelp_ no less.

He gripped the armrest tightly, causing some of it to break off and crumble. "He will pay _dearly_ for what he's done to me."

Footsteps were heard in the hallway, growing louder as they grew closer to the throne room. Goldar emerged in the doorway, the surrounding candlelight reflecting off of his armor.

"My Lord," Goldar said in greeting. He dropped down to one knee in respect. "They've been located. We're ready to depart on your order."

Zedd stood tall and his visor flashed red. "Let's go."

* * *

 _And that wraps up_ Cost of Revenge: Moments in Between _. Be on the lookout for updates to_ Cost of Revenge: Redemption _. Thank you again!_


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